Broken Crown
by TheDreamerSetFree
Summary: Steve Rogers watched his wife die minutes before he landed a plane in the Arctic, so why is she standing in front of him on the Helicarrier? Amber Karakova has no recollection of her past before 2009, so why is she starting to get flashbacks? There's no time to dwell on any of this because the world is about to end. (Avengers up to CA:TWS) (heavy mentions of PTSD and other themes)
1. the prologue

"SHIELD has had this file hidden for years but...I think you of all people deserve to read it," the man said, passing her the thick manila folder. It was worn with age and stuffed with papers and photos. The woman ran her fingers down the front of the folder, tracing the lines of the photo attached to the front.

"And the other one?" she asked, voice thick with emotion.

He studied her closely before nodding, reaching into the cabinet and handing her the next file. It was just as large as the first.

"We are indebted to them. Anything you need…"

"I know." She raised her head to look at him. "Thank you, sir."

She stared at the photos and for a brief second, her blue eyes shone a bright gold.

**New York City, 1939**

Blue.

That was the color of the canvas.

Blue depths. Dark and light. Blue like tears, the sky, and the color of veins when they press against pale skin. Blue like broken ice, berries, and the foam that spills out of arsenic laced mouths.

"Are you alright, ma'am?" The voice was soft, gentle, almost too nice. Anna tilted her head to the side and inhaled sharply, narrowing her green eyes. The man next to her didn't seem like a threat, but she wouldn't put it past him. He was short, thin, and bony, but his eyes were kind and sincere.

"Yes, I think so," she said quietly. "I was just admiring this painting."

"You seem sad," the man observed and she shut her eyes, a single tear rolling down her cheek. The man stepped closer, his hand hovering over her arm as he hesitated to comfort her. She sucked in her breath and set her shoulders back. "I'm fine."

"With all due respect, you're not."

"Are you always this stubborn?" she commented dryly. The man's lips quirked up in a small smile and he shrugged. Anna Kennedy smiled at that. A real, genuine smile crossed her lips and she looked back at the painting in front of her.

"I'm Steve Rogers," he introduced himself.

"Anna Kennedy," she replied, looking back at him. The painting was blue. Blue like his eyes. "Do you want to get dinner with me?"

They marry in the courthouse a year later as whispers of war permeate the American bubble. Anna comes home from work one day to find Bucky holding ice to another bruise on her husband's face. She sighs, dropping her hat off on the kitchen counter and making her way to his side. She takes the ice from her friend and gently places it on Steve's cheek. His blue eyes refuse to look at her and she hums out a sigh, tilting his chin up so their eyes met and she presses a soft kiss to the cut on his forehead and the purple bruise on his cheek. Purple like the fading night. Purple like the dress she wears on date nights. Purple, purple, purple.

"I'm sorry I can't be the man you deserve," he whispers into the night.

"Nonsense. You're the man I need," she replies, voice thick with emotion. He didn't know how honest her words were. He didn't know the demons that haunted her. He didn't know the scars on her back were more than just the lies she told him.

He didn't know until 1941 when he's pumped full with a serum that makes him bigger, faster, stronger. Strength courses through his veins along with grief as he stares down at the blank face of his friend, Dr. Erskine. A woman breaks through the crowd, her eyes wild yet so cold at the same time and before he could call her name, Anna is chasing after the man. Steve is hot on her heels, noting the brown SSR uniform that dons her lithe figure. She never was a nurse, no, she tells him later. She was a spy, originally from the Russians when they forced her into the dreadful world at such a young age. The first form of the serum courses through her veins. He is the second version of her blood and with a sweet kiss, they wordlessly tell each other that everything has changed.

Anastasia Rogers is cold. She is not the sweet Anna he married, but he falls in love with this side of her all over again. Anastasia is calculating and dark, always thinking four steps ahead. She is sent overseas alongside Peggy Carter while Steve does bond shows and he can't help but be jealous yet scared for his wife as she navigates the bombshelled terrain of Europe. She can't help but be relieved that he doesn't see the horrors she's accustomed to. Death doesn't scare her anymore because she is death. While her friend Peggy coordinates troop movements, Anastasia is leading the troops in a silent march. Rumors float through Nazi troops of a woman with blonde hair and a sweet smile who doesn't hesitate to kill with hints of Russian falling past her lips. The Devil, they call her. She has come to atone for the sins of the past. The Executioner, others whisper. They fall silent soon enough when a bullet or knife rips through them and the smile that fades into the night being the only thing they see before they die.

Steve rescues Bucky and his division and when he gets back to the camp, she's still not there. Peggy reassures him that Agent Kennedy is just doing her job. Peggy is right and Anna returns drenched in blood with a haunted look in her eyes. Everyone is silent. Peggy steps forward and the blonde grins, bloody teeth and bloody gums and red, red, red soaks her skin as she holds out the knife she had just used to take out six men. Steve steps forward and the blonde falters. This isn't Anna. This isn't Anastasia. This was the monster she was made to be. Steve helps wash the blood off of her pale skin and he kisses away the nightmares, but it's not enough. She wakes up screaming with shaking hands and Steve pulls her closer and listens as she whispers her story. How they ripped her from her home, trained her to kill, pumped her full of serum, and sent her off to do their dirty work. She ran, found Erskine, and agreed to help if they could take down the people who made her. Steve wants to scream in anger at the SSR. Couldn't they see that she was broken? Couldn't they tell that by putting her in the field, she was shattering to pieces?

Steve refuses to go on without her and Peggy ensures that Anna has a place on the Commandos. The men, aside from Bucky, are hesitant at first but then they see her in action. She is all teeth and grit and anger and Steve can see her shaking from across the field. Her eyes are blank and cold and she's slitting throats like its nothing and he is both scared of her and scared for her. He kisses her that night and whispers his love to her. Bucky, the ever faithful guard dog, doesn't leave her side and she tells the men everything. Steve realizes that she trusts them and his chest tightens by how small and scared she looks when she breathes out her truth and then she's looking at him and her eyes are green. Green like the grass. Green like emeralds. Green, green, green and they're warm too. She announces so calmly, so proudly, that someone pulled her out of her mind and stopped her from spiraling. He runs his thumb over the simple band on her ring finger and tries to stop the swell of emotion that builds in his chest, but his love for her was overflowing and he couldn't stop it.

Bucky dies and Anna knows what's coming soon. Steve is silent as they sit together in the destroyed bar. He's drinking straight from the bottle and she's staring blankly at the table. Peggy talks to them but Anna doesn't acknowledge anything her friend says. She knows what's coming and she knows what she'll have to do. She sits silently, so silently because the world is black without Bucky. They raid the HYDRA stronghold and it's black from the smoke curling and rising around them. It's black, black, black. Black as night. Black as the soft Earth around her. Black, black, black but then it's blue. She's staring up at blue, ignoring the pain in her chest as hot red blood spills from the bullet wound she just took for Steve. He's crying, begging, screaming for her to keep her eyes open and Anna simply presses her hand to his cheek and focuses on the blue eyes above her. Those three words roll off her tongue before her head rolls back and Steve has to keep moving. He has to keep going.

They try to retrieve her body later when all is said and done. If they couldn't bury one Rogers, maybe they could bury the other. The Howling Commandos are weeping openly as they sift through the rubble but Anna's body is nowhere to be found.

Steve wakes up and the room is white. Clinical. It's blank and empty and cold and he hates it. Everything about SHIELD is cold and clinical. He's furious that they lost the Tesseract when so many had died trying to get it. Bucky had died. Anna had died. He grimaces as his fists beat the punching bag in front of him. Anna's laugh dances through his mind as Bucky's joins in. A flash of green sparks a memory of her face with her full lips curved into a smile and her soft skin. Her memory is all he has left. Everything that had to do with Anna Kennedy, no, Anna Rogers, disappeared after he did.

The war is over but he's immediately thrust back in. Steve Rogers, the living legend, walks into the SHIELD Helicarrier and almosts loses the ability to walk. The woman in front of him is scowling at an agent, her lips curled down into a sneer as she chews him out in a low, harsh voice. Her curly black hair is flying around her face as she snarls out a reprimand and the agent nods quickly, fear written on his face. A weak "Anna?" falls past his lips as his fingers grip around the compass in his pocket. The woman stares at him with her tawny brown eyes and she studies him for a second before shaking her head.

"Agent Amber Karakova," she greets him with a cold tone and a stiff handshake. "You must be Captain Rogers."

He stares at her in complete shock before she speaks again. "I don't know who you think I am, Captain, but I guarantee I'm not her. Fury is over there."

The woman descended the stairs, agents practically throwing themselves out of the way as she walked past and towards Agent Romanoff. She walked past the wall of windows where the sky was blue, blue blue. Blue like that painting. Steve swallowed past the lump in his throat and shook his head. His wife was dead, so how could she be standing in front of him with no recollection of who he was?

A/N: I have this entitled "the beginning of the end" in my drafts. Posting this is a poetic moment for me and so I write my little dedication here, read it at your own discretion.

To Amber: I was an anxious, depressed, and broken twelve year old when I saw Avengers for the first time. For some reason, I fell in love with the idea of superheroes and in the midst of pure hell that was middle school, I came to the idea of you. You are broken and misguided and have been lied to, manipulated, and shattered beyond belief but you are also one of the most selfless, loving, and bright characters I have ever created. You gave me hope when I wanted to give up because you always got up even when life beat you into the ground. You stand up for what you believe in and never let anyone tell you no. Creating you in my head for the past seven years provided me with an outlet that helped me grow into the person I am now. This story is my last ode to you and I will go on living life with the strength and grace you taught me. I will go on living with the belief you instilled in me: that people are good and life is worth living and we all have the chance to make a difference.

To my friends reading this: don't make fun of me for this pls i luv u

To God: for giving me faith when I am weak, for believing in me when I doubt myself, and for giving me the chance to express who I am and Your glory in my work


	2. one

Agent Amber Karakova was pissed. Her mission was ruined due to bad intel, she was being forced onto the merry band of misfits, and her best friend was compromised. With a set jaw and a deadly glare, she stalked through the halls of the Helicarrier towards the Strike Team Delta locker room. SHIELD agents and interns flattened themselves against the wall as she walked by and Amber had to stifle the urge to chuckle.

Pressing her hand up against the scanner, she waited for the door to unlock before she pushed it to the side, revealing the small locker room. Three wide cubbies stood proudly next to each other and Amber sat down in front of the middle one, staring up at the name emblazoned on the front.

_Clint Barton - Hawkeye_

The man who saved her. He and Natasha had pulled her out of Project Dragon and got her help, made sure she was stable, and recruited her to SHIELD. Without them, she would still be a little puppet. Sighing, she moved onto the locker to the right and peeled off her dirty clothes, throwing them into the hamper in the corner. The locker slid open at her touch and revealed a SHIELD standard catsuit, a few of her gadgets stacked next to it. Amber reached out and ran her hand along the rough kevlar suit. It was one of her training suits, she realized. Her regular suit was getting repairs done after her last mission.

It didn't fit as well and she cursed under her breath. The day just kept getting worse and worse. Sliding in her comms, she tapped it twice and heard Coulson gushing to Captain Rogers about how big of a fan he was before she switched it off again. Smirking, she laced up her boots and slid her trusty handgun into her thigh holster. A few more weapons were placed here and there and she glanced herself over in the mirror, deeming it worthy enough for now. Shutting her locker, she walked back out, leaving her nameplate blazing in the harsh industrial lights of the Helicarrier.

_Amber Karakova - Red Dragon_

"Good," Natasha called as she passed her partner in the hall. "You're suited up. Go get a quinjet ready. They have eyes on Loki."

"You joining me?" Amber asked, instinctively flexing her hands at the thought of getting behind the controls of a jet.

"Co-pilot. Rogers is taking point on Loki," Romanoff explained. Karakova nodded and marched off towards the quinjet hangar. Before she could get into the jet, a voice called out for her and she grimaced.

"Dr. Sanders," she greeted the sandy blond haired man coolly.

"You missed your psych eval," Joel Sanders, SHIELD psychologist, sighed.

"I was busy. I just had a mission and now I have to stop an Asgardian god from destroying the planet. Do you mind?" She moved to walk around him and he grabbed her arm to stop her. The dark haired woman snapped to alert and had him in a chokehold in an instant. Amber growled low in her throat but ripped herself away, her chest rising and falling rapidly.

"Sanders, you of all people should know not to grab her like that," Romanoff called as she joined them. The redhead casually placed herself in front of her partner, a glare plastered on her face. Dr Sanders shook his head and pointed an accusing finger at the two.

"You need to stop enabling her behavior," he argued.

"And you need to understand when to stand down."

"After this mission, you are required to talk to me Karakova. Before you kill someone else."

He turned on his heel and left the two women behind. Amber ran a hand over her face and spun around, her fist slamming into the metal wall next to her. The metal crumpled under her hand and she clenched her jaw, shutting her eyes.

"Deep breaths," Natasha reminded her gently. "Focus on where you are."

Amber nodded, her breathing evening out as the minutes ticked by. She straightened out and made to move when Captain Rogers' spoke behind them. He was asking Romanoff a question, but it seemed like his voice was a million miles away.

Her hand flexed and she reached for something on her waist but her fingers felt nothing. Her breathing picked up again and she grabbed onto the wall. Low voices filled her ears and mind, soft and calming, over the soft hum of a plane engine. A hand landed on her shoulder and she relaxed, her eyes opening as the noise faded away. She turned, seeing Captain Rogers staring at her with an odd expression.

"Alright?" he asked, a gentle tone lacing his voice.

She nodded, looking past him to Natasha whose face was blank, but eyes revealed her confusion. Amber didn't let anyone touch her without her knowing. Rather than reacting like she did with Sanders, she completely relaxed with Rogers.

"Let's go," Amber said sharply, leading the way to the quinjet. She ripped a helmet out of another pilot's hands and shoved it over her head, flipping the visor down to cover her eyes as she boarded the jet and did preliminary tests. Romanoff slid into the seat next to her and glanced over, wordlessly checking over Amber.

"I'm fine," the dark haired woman snapped. "Let's just get this shitbag. Captain Rogers, you might want to sit down for this."

She flipped a few switches above her and directed the jet towards the open hatch in the belly of the Helicarrier. Amber slowly pulled the jet out onto the runway, gaining speed as the men on the side directed the quinjet out. The second they were out of the Helicarrier, the jet lurched forward and they went hurtling through the air.

"Where did you learn to fly again?" Natasha called.

"Soviet Russia...probably," Karakova replied, a wicked smirk playing on her lips, the only thing visible under the helmet.

She was an enigma. Hot one second, cold the next. She found joy in pain and comfort in suffering. Amber Karakova had grown up in a world that was all too cruel, raised by people all too willing to break her. No one knew where she came from or where she went, but they knew that she was to be feared. The intelligence community had her on their radar for years when the Red Dragon appeared at random times, leaving devastation in her path. Strike Team Delta, Natasha and Clint, was able to pull her out of the mental scramble Project Dragon had forced her in. They helped her out of her cage and to people who could help her.

The plane ride was short thanks to advanced technology and they were right on time, dropping Captain Rogers from the quinjet into the crowd of terrified people as Loki threatened them. Amber directed the plane in a smooth arc up and into the clouds, turning them around so they could get a clear view of Loki. Natasha activated the gun and it dropped down from the quinjet, but the god fired an energy blast at the jet. Amber cursed under her breath and tilted the plane out of the way. By the time they righted the jet, Captain Rogers was in hand to hand combat with him.

"Guys all over the place," Natasha muttered.

AC/DC's Shoot to Thrill came over the PA and Amber rolled her eyes, knowing exactly who was messing with her system.

"Agents Romanoff, Karakova. Miss me?" Tony Stark's voice came over the comms and Iron Man appeared under their plane, blasting Loki back into the stairs.

"Make your move, Reindeer Games," Stark challenged. Loki surrendered, shifting his armor to his clothes. Amber started to lower the quinjet, her eyes narrowing in suspicion when she realized how easy it was to stop him. After the theatrics he had just put on, she would have assumed that Loki would put up more of a fight.

Deciding not to argue with it, she opened the back hatch of the quinjet and removed her helmet, setting it in her seat as she and Natasha stood and approached the men. Amber made her way to Loki and stopped in front of him, her cold eyes glaring down at the trickster god.

"Get up," she hissed.

"You're going to have to ask nicer than that, I'm afraid."

Amber grabbed the front of his tunic and yanked him up, extracting a wheeze from the god. She marched him to the quinjet with Captain Rogers at her side, Stark and Romanoff following behind them. The dark haired agent threw him into a seat and grabbed the seatbelt. It wasn't the best restraint, but it would do for now. She held it out with a raised eyebrow and he willingly slid his arms through the straps.

"You know...Barton told me a lot about you," Loki hummed as she clipped the straps together. Amber stayed silent and avoided eye contact, focusing rather on the task at hand. "But not everything, it seems. You have power, Amber. I can sense it within you."

"And you're a fucking creep," she snarled back.

The dark haired agent stood, tightening the straps hard enough that he choked slightly. With a saccharine sweet smile, she made her way back to the pilot's seat and decided to forgo the helmet, instead sticking with just a headset. The hatch closed and she raised them, setting the course back to the Helicarrier.

"Saying anything?" Fury's voice crackled over the comms.

"Not a word," Natasha huffed.

"Just get him here. We're low on time."

Natasha clicked the comms off, noticing her partner's blank expression. It wasn't uncommon, but Amber's eyes held something different. Natasha nudged her, ensuring that she was still mentally present before she started speaking.

"What's wrong?" Natasha asked.

"It was too easy," Amber grit out. "I've taken down guys who put up a much bigger fight than that."

Before the redhead could respond, a sudden bolt of lightning lit up the sky around them and Amber swore, checking the radar to find nothing there. That meant...no…

"Shit!" she shouted, slamming her hand on the radar screen.

"Where's this coming from?" Natasha exclaimed.

The lightning continued and thunder rumbled across the sky. Amber was struggling to keep the jet steady with little turbulence and found herself clutching the handle.

"What's the matter? Scared of a little lightning?" Captain Rogers questioned the Asgardian.

"I'm not overly fond of what follows," Loki retorted.

The jet jolted as something hit it and Natasha snapped her head over to look at her partner. "You don't mean to tell me...?"

"New Mexico. I read the briefing files."

Stark hit the hatch door button and Amber shook her head, blocking out the din of the wind and Rogers' shouting, focusing instead on keeping them still in the air. The impromptu storm was wreaking havoc on her navigation systems. The crack of Iron Man's blasters echoed through the jet and Amber grimaced.

"He followed after him, didn't he?"

"Yep," Natasha announced. "I'd sit this one out, Cap."

"I don't see how I can," Steve argued.

"These guys come from legend. They're basically gods."

"There's only one God, ma'am, and I'm pretty sure he doesn't dress like that."

Captain Rogers jumped out of the plane and Natasha quickly closed the hatch to reduce the noise and suction. The storm leveled off and Amber found a nice flat area to land the plane. The second they touched down, she ripped herself away from the controls and collapsed to her knees.

_Ma'am. Parachute. Planes._

Amber groaned, pressing the heel of her hand to the bridge of her nose in an attempt to stop the sudden pounding headache that was settling in her mind. It came out of nowhere, developing right after Steve jumped. The pain was almost unbearable and that means a lot coming from a woman who wasn't supposed to admit to being hurt.

"Karakova! Karakova, talk to me," Natasha shouted but she sounded a million miles away. Amber shut her eyes to block out the lights but flashes of blue and red sprung up in her mind. It was a memory, but that was impossible. She didn't have memories. She didn't have a past.

All she had was three years. Three years out of twenty-four. The other years were stolen, ripped away from her so Project Dragon could mold her into the perfect little assassin.

Amber Karakova could only remember her life from 2009 and on.

* * *

A/N: lowkey hate writing scenes from the movie because? if you're reading this, you probably watched it AND it's really restricting in a writing sense and becomes pedantic after a while. Movie scenes end in part six so we get a lil more ~spicy~ then


	3. two

Just as quickly as it arrived, her headache faded and Rogers called in with their location. Amber reassured Natasha that she was fine and it was just from a lack of decompressing after her last mission. The redhead called bullshit on that but allowed her to grab the men and fly back to the Helicarrier where a tac team escorted Loki to his cell.

Natasha and Amber made their way to the main bridge when Sanders turned around the corner in front of them. Amber let out a frustrated huff and shook her head when he pointed at her.

"Now," he snapped.

"Mission isn't over yet," she shot back.

"As your psychologist, I order that you come in for an eval."

A heavy thud rippled through the hall as she slammed him up against the wall, her eyes flashing dangerously. Natasha stepped back, her hand resting on her sidearm as she motioned for the agents in the hall to quietly back out. Steve, who had been following them from a distance, froze in the doorway when he saw the scene in front of him.

"You don't order me shit," Amber hissed, voice dangerously low as her fingers tightened around his throat. "You don't give me any damn order and you know exactly why."

"Karakova," Natasha said quietly and calmly. "Let him go, Karakova."

"Y'know the last time someone gave me an order it was to put a bullet in a child's head? So you don't order me. Ever," she spat.

"Amber, stand down now." Everyone's heads snapped towards Coulson who was standing at the end of the hall with his arms crossed in front of his chest. Amber dropped Sanders immediately and the man collapsed to his knees, gasping for air. The dark haired woman stalked down the cold metal floor of the hall and Coulson sighed, following after her.

"Go on, Cap," Natasha said. The hidden message of her statement was easily understood. _We all have our demons, Steve. Don't fault this against her._

Amber flung open the door to the training room with a thundering bang, her chest heaving as she paced the length of the room. Coulson calmly stepped in and closed the door behind him, watching his agent struggle to rein it all in.

"It wasn't you," he said simply.

"It was my hands that killed them, Phil. I don't understand how you can say I didn't do it or it wasn't my fault," she seethed, running her hands over her face. "I can't do this! I can't be part of this superhuman boy band when I'm hanging on by threads."

"Amber, I saw you after the attack. It wasn't you. It was like you were possessed."

"That doesn't bring them back! Dragon...she's too powerful for me to contain," she yelled.

Coulson stepped forward and grabbed her clenched fist. "You can control this. You're just too afraid to try. You need to start trusting yourself. You are the Dragon."

Amber swallowed heavily past the lump in her throat and shook her head, pulling away from him and holding her arms close as if she was wounded. Her handler was like a father to her and she wanted to believe him and trust his words, but her record refuted his words.

"How can I try when all I've done is hurt people? What if I mess up?" she asked.

"You've only been taught to hurt people, but now you have a chance to do good."

"When will I know to use it?"

"You'll know. Now, come on, kid. Let's go see what Fury is doing to Loki."

Coulson followed his agent to the bridge, nudging her in the side with his elbow when they walked in. It had been three years since he met her and he could still clearly picture that day.

_Natasha led the group in, murmuring something in Russian as she took in the state of the facility. It was dirty and dark, rats scuttling around their feet as they cautiously walked through the halls. A soft scratching sound came from down the hall and Clint stepped forward, his bow raised as the three approached._

_The door at the end was opened, a dead guard lying in front of it. It looked as if a bomb went off in the place with ash covering the area. His face was cut up and burned beyond recognition. A quiet sob came from the corner and they all pointed their weapons at whoever was there._

"_Come out with your hands up," Natasha ordered. They waited with bated breaths until a hand appeared in the light. A young woman crawled out, her messy black curls hiding her face from view as her trembling hands dug into the soft earth beneath them._

"_Please do not hurt me," she stammered out, a thick Russian accent coating her words. "Please."_

"_We're with SHIELD, ma'am," Coulson reassured her. "Can you tell us where we are? Who you are?"_

"_I do not know. I do not know," she sobbed, grabbing onto the ends of her greasy hair and pulling. It was then that the three agents saw how boney and emaciated she was. It was like she hadn't been fed in weeks. "She will come for me. She will always come for me."_

"_Who will? Who is after you? We can help you."_

_The woman lunged forward, her eyes wild and her teeth bared. She gripped onto Natasha's arms but the redhead didn't fight back. She simply grabbed onto the woman's hands and held them, whispering something in Russian. The woman stopped fighting and her shoulders sagged. Tears filled her eyes as she looked up at them._

"_I don't know who I am. They took me, tortured me, made me a monster. I...Help me," she whispered._

It took her seven months to heal and gain her strength back, but she joined SHIELD soon after. Things had been going fine until the mission a year ago.

Natasha glanced up from the table and nodded at her partner. Amber silently took a seat next to her and closed in on herself, her arms crossed over her chest in a defensive stance. Captain Rogers probably thought she was insane and not stable enough for the team.

Amber would agree with him.

She fixed her eyes on the screen on the table, watching Fury interrogate Loki. She recognized the cage, having been an inhabitant of it from time to time. She grimaced and Loki turned to the camera, his smile making her feel as if he could read her thoughts.

"It's an impressive cage. Not built, I think, for me," Loki commented.

"Built for something a lot stronger than you," Fury retorted.

"Oh, I've heard." His eyes practically bored into Amber's soul and she resisted the urge to shudder. "The mindless beast...makes play he's still a man. The monster you all seem desperate to protect from her mind."

Eyes shifted from Bruce to Amber and the agent shifted uncomfortably, her gaze never leaving the table.

"How desperate are you to call on such lost creatures to defend you?"

"How desperate am I? You threaten my world with war. You steal a force you can't hope to control. You talk about peace and you kill 'cause it's fun. You have made me very desperate. You might not be glad that you did."

"Ooo, it burns you to have come so close. To have the Tesseract, to have power, unlimited power. And for what? A warm light for all mankind to share and then to be reminded what real power is."

"Well, you let me know if real power wants a magazine or something."

The screen shut off and Amber pushed away from the table, staring blankly at where Loki's eyes stared into her own. It was like he knew something she didn't know and the assassin didn't like that in the slightest.

Someone called her name and she turned, seeing a tall blonde standing near the hall. She motioned to follow her and Amber slipped away from the table. They silently walked down the hall before turning into one of the labs.

"I made some modifications," the blonde explained.

"What's next, a flamethrower shooting out of my ass? Andrea, all I need is a basic suit."

Agent Andrea Smith, mechanic and weapons specialist for Strike Team Delta, was a fiery individual who took shit from literally no one. She was the first person outside of Barton and Romanoff that interacted with her once she was brought in from extensive therapy. Smith didn't even hesitate to put Amber to work. The two women had stayed up in the lab until four in the morning and Natasha walked in to find them sitting on the floor and talking. Amber had opened up to the blonde just barely, but it was hope.

Until the incident last year, Amber had been healing.

"I think you can manage that without my help," Andrea snorted. The blonde glanced up and her smile faltered at the sight of the blank face staring back at her. She missed her friend. She missed the laugh she was able to pull from her. She missed the joy that would momentarily settle in Amber when she experienced something that she never knew existed when she was chained up.

"No it's new gloves. I'm testing out this synthetic material that can withstand high temperatures, fire, knives, everything under the sun. You always come back with cut up hands so I'm hoping this will help," Andrea said, tossing her the two small pieces of fabric.

Amber stared down at the gloves, her fingers running over the rough leather that encased them. She shut her eyes, pain radiating through her temples.

"_Your hand is bleeding."_

"_Guess I punched him a little too hard."_

"_You should start wearing gloves."_

"_Match you, huh?"_

"_Hey, can you two quit being disgustingly cute over there? We're trying to pitch some tents in peace."_

"_Aw, screw off."_

"Karakova? Karakova, what's going on?" Andrea's voice permeated her thoughts.

"Nothing. I need to go. Thanks for these."


	4. three

Amber rushed out of the room to get a briefing on what she missed. As she turned down the hall, she collided with a wall that clearly hadn't been there before.

"Agent Karakova," Captain Rogers greeted.

"Rogers. Where are you going?" He was a bit taken back by her blunt question and she smirked in such a calm and deadly way that he felt required to tell her.

"If I were to, hypothetically, be looking for where weapons are stored because I know the Tesseract-"

"Secure storage. Follow me."

She swiveled on her heel and strode down the hall without a second thought. Something in her mind screamed to trust Captain Rogers and it was probably his hunky dory "I'm an American hero" persona. She's read up on all the files in the Avengers initiative. She knows the sacrifices he's made.

The people he's lost.

With a scathing glare from the lithe woman, agents cleared the halls. She approached the storage container doors and cursed, realizing her keycard was still in her locker. Hesitating, she pressed her hand up against the door and started to suck in a breath.

"Wait," Steve whispered. He moved to take her spot and she calmly stepped out of his way, secretly pleased that she wouldn't put herself in the position to lose control.

Rogers opened the door with pure strength and Karakova had to stop herself from staring in complete surprise. He was a Super Soldier for fucks sake.

"Floor three. HYDRA equipment is housed there," she informed him. The spy carefully leapt onto a crate and then the railing. She grabbed onto the railing above her and pulled herself up easily. Captain Rogers blinked and then made the choice to follow her.

Something was calling her to the second crate. Amber stepped forward slowly, opening the wooden top with ease. Nestled among the packing straws was not weapons or files. Trinkets laid in the crate. An old gas mask, a sheathed dagger, and dogtags all rest among the items.

She grabbed the dogtags and flipped them over in an attempt to read it. The words have partially rubbed off and rust has started to creep up the edges. Amber ran her fingers over the raised bumps but didn't get anything.

"Did you know about this?"

She slipped the dogtags in her pocket and turned, seeing Rogers holding an old HYDRA gun. Her jaw clenched instinctively at the sight of it and she sighed.

"I suspected it."

This was not going to go well.

Karakova was right. They joined Stark, Banner, and Fury in the lab and arguments broke out. Amber was just trying to stay out of it and stay calm. Romanoff said that Loki wanted to trigger the Dragon, so Amber would try her hardest to make sure that she kept her emotions under wrap. The last thing they needed was the Helicarrier being destroyed mid-air.

Everything was going fine until an explosion ripped a hole through the lab.

The flames blasted Karakova into Rogers and Stark, knocking her head back into the wall. She groaned while rolling over to lay on her stomach. Shutting her eyes tightly, she fought back against the pain ringing through her head.

"Karakova! Karakova, are you alright?" someone shouted.

She blinked her eyes open, trying to clear the dust that coated her lashes. A figure was hovering over her and she groaned, shifting her weight to sit up.

"What happened? What's going on?"

"Some kind of bomb went off. We're on the Helicarrier. Are you alright?" Steve said. His brow furrowed in concern at her confusion. She shook her head to clear her mind and looked up at him, her eyes widening in shock.

"Steve?" she mumbled out.

"Can you stand?"

"Yeah, yes. They said something about the engine, right? Let's go," she exclaimed, stumbling to her feet as the Helicarrier shuddered beneath them.

"Karakova, I need you with me," Fury ordered over comms. She quickly changed routes, passing Rogers by, and sprinted down the hall towards the main controls. Agents rushed past her and one collided with her. He yelped at the sight of the dark haired woman standing above him. She offered her hand down and he stared at it for a moment before grabbing it. Swiftly, Amber pulled him up and patted him on the back before she continued towards Fury and Hill.

"What do we have?" she called once she entered the chaos filled command center.

"Grenade!" Hill cried and Amber spun around, placing herself between an agent standing nearby and the small canister. It exploded, the heat rippling across her back and shrapnel catching onto her suit. Thankfully Andrea built all suits extra sturdy for Delta members.

Two armed guards entered, guns brandished. Amber kicked up, knocking the lead man's gun up to face the ceiling while she whipped out one of her own handguns, firing twice into the second guard's shoulders. She wrapped an arm around the first guard's neck and slammed him into the ground, twisting his arm up and dislocating his shoulder with a loud pop. Spinning around, her foot connected with his head and he slumped to the ground.

A shot fired above her and she turned, seeing a third guard drop to the ground. Agent Hill nodded to her in acknowledgement as Amber slid her gun back into her holster.

"Thanks," Karakova muttered. "What do you need me to do?"

"Restart the mainframe and make sure we stay online by not letting these sons of bitches in here!" Fury barked. Shots fired from above and she jumped over the railing, giving herself some cover so she could locate the hostiles and return fire.

Grabbing onto the keyboard, she entered the system with one hand while firing a shot and taking out a hostile with the other. Karakova set her jaw, attempting to reboot the navigation and directory systems when she was blasted back by another explosion. The command center was becoming a battlefield.

"_Stay down! We need relief from above!"_

"_On it. Just hang tight, I'll get you both out of here."_

"_Happy anniversary, nothing is as romantic as a battlefield."_

She was snapped out of it by someone coming over the comms. "We've lost all power in engine one."

"It's Barton. He took out our systems and he's headed for the detention center," Fury reported. "Does anybody copy?"

"This is Agent Romanoff, I copy."

Amber picked herself up, wincing at the burn on her muscles. She turned her head, seeing an agent laying on the ground. Part of his leg was gone and his breathing was shallow.

"Help me," he rasped out, reaching out for her. She grabbed his hand, bringing their clasped hands to his chest as she moved closer.

"Hey, it's okay," she soothed before she pressed on her comm link. "I need a med team over here stat."

"Can you tell me your name?"

"Andy. Andy Stanton."

"Alright, Andy. You're going to be fine. Talk to me, okay? Do you have a girlfriend? Boyfriend?"

"Wife. Michelle. She's a...she's a baker. Had our little girl three months ago. Julia."

"Julia, that's a beautiful name. You'll see your family again, I promise you."

The med team was scurrying over and Amber started to pull away but his grip tightened on her hand. She leaned in and he smiled up at her.

"Thank you, Karakova."

He released her and she stepped back, her chest tight and head spinning. She started to walk towards Hill who was getting checked out when Fury came over the comms.

"Agent Coulson is down."

"The medical team is on their way to your location."

"They're here. They called it."

A loud crash broke the silence that had enveloped the room and everyone turned to see the cause. Agent Karakova had collapsed to her knees, her hands trembling as she bowed her head. Hill cautiously stood and approached the younger woman, kneeling down in front of her.

"Dragon?" she asked quietly. The last thing they needed was for her to lash out.

A sob tore past Karakova's lips and she slumped into Hill's arms, boneless and weak. At that moment, she wasn't the skilled assassin that people feared. She was a young woman who just had one of her only family members ripped from her in seconds.

Hill held her as she wept.


	5. four

Numb.

Karakova was completely, utterly numb.

She sat on the cot in the recovery room and played with the rusted dog tags. Her mind wasn't able to wrap around everything that was happening. Her thumb ran over the fading words and she squinted her eyes, trying to read it.

"I'm sorry. He seemed like a good man."

"He was," she whispered. Captain Rogers watched her with a strange expression. His blue eyes drifted down to her hands and he stiffened before nodding sharply.

"It's time. Are you ready for this?"

"Ready? No. Prepared to rip Loki's head off? Yes."

"Suit up."

She met Barton and Romanoff in the hall. The three silently strode towards their locker room, agents moving out of their way at every step. Amber casually slid her hand into Clint's and squeezed it to reassure him that she was there. The agents no longer only looked at her in fear.

With a metallic hiss, the three locker doors opened. Amber tossed her sidearms into the locker and unstrapped her holsters, dropping them unceremoniously onto the guns. She paused at the dog tags she held in her hand and then gently placed the chain next to her weapons.

After unclipping her utility belt and letting it drop to the ground, she unzipped her training suit and tossed it into the trash. Shrapnel had torn it to shreds so it was useless by now. Andrea had already hung her updated suit up and Amber turned it to the side.

It was like Natasha's but red piping lined the side with a red dragon insignia stamped on the belt buckle. Once she put it on, she found that it fit perfectly and matched her new fingerless gloves. Before she pulled on her gear again, she pulled her frizzy black hair up into a tight ponytail and laced up her combat boots.

"If we don't make it out alive...it's been fun." Natasha broke the silence.

"Thank you...for helping me when no one else would," Amber added.

"For being family when we lost our own," Clint finished, holding his hand out with the palm down. The women copied his movement, placing their hands on top of one another.

"Strike Team Delta."

"Never leave a man behind."

"Never say die."

They finished their uniforms, gearing up Widow Bites and filling up arrows. Amber locked her escrima sticks into place on her back, sucking in a sharp breath when the finality of everything settled in. She studied her teammates and grabbed the dog tags, slipping them into her side pocket. Once all this was said and done, she would figure all this shit out.

"Comms three is online."

"Comm three is a go."

After stealing a Quinjet, Karakova settled into the back as Clint flew for once. She sensed someone staring at her and glanced over at Captain Rogers who immediately looked away, clearing his throat to diffuse the tension.

"Must be rough," she commented. "Leaving war only to wake up in the midst of another. You lost a lot and now you're back, sacrificing more."

"You ever been in war?"

She frowned, tilting her head to the side and his chest ached at such a simple action because his Anna, his sweet Anna, used to do the same motion when she was confused.

"Can't remember." Her short reply signaled to drop the topic.

They rode in silence towards the city and the air became stifling with tension as they got closer. Amber leaned down, seeing a giant beam of light shining off the Stark tower. Aliens were flying out of the hole and her eyes widened in horror when she saw the people below them getting obliterated.

"Stark we're on your three, headed northeast!" Natasha reported.

"What did you stop for drive thru? Swing up Park, I'm gonna lay them out for you."

The Quinjet rocked back and forth as Chitauri flew past them but Clint kept a steady hand on the controls. Soon enough, Loki and Thor came into view before them as the brothers fought on the top of Stark towers.

"Nat…"

"Yeah, I see him." Before she could fire their gun, Loki blasted them with some energy from the Tesseract and the plane started to buckle. Amber stumbled as she attempted to grab a strap from above her but an arm wrapped around her waist. She grabbed onto Rogers' shoulders to steady herself, knocking into him as they crash landed.

The back hatch opened and they sprinted out, intent on getting back upstairs when the scene around them made them freeze.

"Holy shit," Amber breathed at the sight of the massive alien flying out of the wormhole towards them.

"Stark, you seeing this?"

"Seeing, still working on believing. Where's Banner? Has he shown up yet?"

"Banner?"

"Just keep me posted."

Amber fumbled for her gun and fired twice at an alien, sighing in relief when she saw it drop. Guns can kill it which was good news for the time being. Clint grabbed her arm and dragged her behind a taxi to give them some cover as Chitauri rained fire around them. New Yorkers screamed as they were shot at and their cars were destroyed. Buildings above them were being ripped apart.

"They're fish in a barrel down there." Steve was looking over the bridge and Amber could see the line of Chitauri firing onto the people below. This was like nothing she had ever seen before.

"We've got this. Go," she spoke up, glancing at Natasha and Clint.

"Think you can hold them off?"

"Captain." Clint recharged his arrows with a smirk. "It would be my genuine pleasure."

Steve leapt over the bridge and rushed to join the fray. Amber sucked in a deep breath and started to checked the battlefield around her. People were trapped in cars and buses so that was first priority. Second was destroying Chitauri.

"Amber, do you think you can control it?" Natasha called.

The dark haired woman instinctively flexed her fingers and nodded in confirmation. A small smile slid onto her lips and she sighed. "If I die, might as well go out with a bang, right?"

"Coulson always believed in you. It's time you believe in yourself."

The assassin burst out from behind the taxi, shooting down two Chitauri as she sprinted towards a car where two teens were trapped in the backseat. She shattered the back window and unlocked the car, hauling the two girls out. Her brown eyes darted around as she assessed the field and Chitauri movement as her hands pressed on the girls backs to direct them towards the subway stairs.

"Stay down there!" she ordered and the girls sprinted down, leaving Amber to face the oncoming aliens. The assassin jumped onto an overturned car to attract their attention and unloaded a clip into six of the aliens. She tucked and rolled off the car to avoid a blue blast while she reloaded. She had six more magazines strapped to her waist, but she couldn't use them all now.

Just as she slid her gun back into her thigh holster and reached for her escrima sticks, the comms crackled to life.

"Karakova, young girl and her mother on your four. Pretty easy to see them," Stark called.

The glowing red forcefield that surrounded the was pulsing from the girl's hands made them _extremely _easy to see. The energy shield flickered and a line of maybe fifteen Chitauri was honing in on them. Amber bolted towards them, her lungs heaving with every breath. The girl couldn't have been more than ten or eleven and here she was, fighting for her life with a mutation that she probably hadn't used very often.

"Need a little help?" Amber called, skidding to a stop outside of the forcefield. The mother held her child a little tighter, fear gripping her body. Amber smiled at them in an attempt to keep them calm.

"That's a pretty cool mutation you've got there," the assassin complimented. "Think you can keep it up for just two more minutes?"

The girl nodded and Amber spun around so she faced the oncoming Chitauri. Shutting her eyes, Coulson's words came back.

"_You can control this. You're just too afraid to try. You need to start trusting yourself. You are the Dragon."_

"_You've only been taught to hurt people, but now you have a chance to do good."_

"_When will I know to use it?"_

"_You'll know."_

Pain bloomed in her gums and she let out an inhuman growl, dropping to one knee. The assassin planted one hand firmly into the concrete and raised her head to stare down the aliens. Her eyes snapped open, a glowing gold replacing her usual brown. Adrenaline coursed through her veins along with fire and she huffed out a puff of smoke, adjusting her jaw, and let out a low growl. Flames sprouted from her fists and wrapped up her arms, enveloping her upper body in fire. With a roar, she thrust her fists forward and seared the Chitauri to ash.

"Get to the underground. Stay there until this is all done," the Dragon rasped. "You did good."

"Mom! She's a mutant like me!" the girl exclaimed as they ran off.

Amber stared down at her flame covered skin and then looked to the sky. For the first time in a year, her mutation wasn't controlling her. She was controlling it.

And it felt like heaven.

* * *

A/N: I seriously did not expect this many likes and follows. WOW. Thank you SO much! I can't wait to delve more into Amber's story with you all!


	6. five

"So...the fangs and the fire...I see why they call you the Red Dragon."

"Dr. Banner, nice to meet you. We didn't get to officially meet before," Amber chuckled, extinguishing her glowing hands as her eyes turned back to brown. She raised an inquisitive eyebrow at the moped he drove and gestured to it with one hand. "Can I catch a ride?"

"It would be my pleasure."

She slid on behind him and held onto the back, occasionally send a ball of flames at an alien they drove past. Banner slowed down as they approached the others and Amber hopped off, striding towards them with flaming hands and glowing eyes.

"Hi," she said casually.

"That wasn't in your file," Steve pointed out looking more confused than ever.

"There's a reason for that, Captain."

"So, this all looks horrible," Bruce added.

"I've seen worse," Natasha retorted.

"Sorry."

"No, we could use a little worse. Sparky over there is only half of the shock factor."

Amber responded with a single finger. Natasha smirked but quietly spoke to her friend. "He would be proud of you right now. You're in control and using your mutation to help others."

"I'm bringing the party to you," Tony cut over their talk. The women turned, seeing the massive alien following his suit and Amber immediately stepped back with raised fists.

"I don't see how that's a party," the redhead stuttered out.

"Dr. Banner, now might be a really good time for you to get angry."

"That's my secret, Cap. I'm always angry."

The Hulk emerged from Dr. Banner and he slammed into the creature. It buckled under the Hulk's strength and twisted to land on them. Amber planted her feet and raised her flaming fists in an attempt to melt its armor but Stark shot missiles into the exposed areas. The beast exploded and the familiar heat of fire tickled Amber's skin. Her skin that never burned or charred. Fire was part of her DNA.

The Chitauri shrieked and screamed from all around them. Amber moved back next to Steve and Natasha. With her teeth bared and her fists in flames, she stared down any and all Chitauri with her eerie golden eyes. She looked at the wormhole and swore under her breath at the sight of more aliens.

"Play time's over, guys," she yelled.

"Call it, Captain."

"Alright, listen up. Until we can close that portal, our priority containment. Barton, I want you on that roof, eyes on everything. Call out patterns and strays. Stark, you got perimeter. Anything gets more than three blocks out, you turn it back or your turn it to ash. Thor, you've gotta try and bottleneck that portal. Slow them down. You've got the lightning. Light the bastards up."

He turned to the two women. "We stay here on the ground. Keep the fighting contained. Dragon, you see one and you burn the asshole to the ground. And Hulk? Smash."

Dragon grinned, spinning on her heel to face the Chitauri that slithered towards them. She flicked her wrists and tendrils of flames trailed across the stone bridge. The aliens slowed their assault and she took that as her chance to punch a massive ball of flames at them. In a single move, she jumped onto an overturned car and pulled out her escrima sticks, flames wrapping around the metal poles.

She made a mental note to thank Andrea later.

A Chitauri sliced its gun thing at her and she blocked it, landing a harsh kick right in its skull. The mutant stood up from her crouch on the car and grunted when a Chitauri grabbed her from behind. She grit her teeth and flipped him off of her, rolling off the car and onto the ground. Finding her footing, she hopped back up and used her sticks to beat two aliens back. They started pushing her back towards the other end of the bridge and she grunted, slashing her sticks back and forth and deflecting their hits while she tried to maintain her position.

"Need a little help?" Rogers called as he appeared beside her, ripping a Chitauri's head off and throwing its body over the bridge. "Widow is going to close the portal."

"Then I guess its just us, Captain."

They slipped into an easy routine, backs pressed against each other as they destroyed aliens left and right. Amber got knocked back and he caught her into his chest and steadied her, placing his shield between them and the Chitauri. Their eyes locked and she faltered, the familiar pain radiating at her temples as the gold faded from her eyes. Steve's breathing hitched as he stared at his wife's doppelganger, a million emotions rushing back.

"Thanks," she grunted, snapping out of whatever hold he had her under. She twisted out of his arms and decked a Chitauri, hearing it collapse with a satisfying crunch. Stark flew by and blasted the Chitauri with his arc reactors off of Steve's shield and Amber got an idea. Without saying a word, she twisted around to face the soldier. He caught her drift and tilted his shield up. With a running start, she jumped up and planted her feet firmly on his shield. He pushed up, launching her into the middle of the oncoming Chitauri line. She crouched down, letting a blast of fire radiate from her body and destroy the whole mass of creatures. When she turned back, Steve was on the ground with an alien inches away from stabbing him. Rage filled her body and she sent a ball of flames to incinerate it. Rushing over while sliding her escrima sticks back into their holders, the dark haired woman extinguished her fists and held her hand out for him to take.

"We're even now," he laughed breathlessly as he stood.

"Captain, the bank on 42nd past Madison they caught a lot of civilians there," Clint's voice cut across the comms.

"I'm on it," Steve reported back. "You'll be alright?"

She snapped her fingers, flames appearing over the tips of her fingers and he nodded with a grin before grabbing his shield and sprinting off. Amber glanced around to check that no civilians were nearby before she stepped forward, smoke curling off of her. Fire trailed behind her and slowly wrapped up her legs consuming her entire body. As if in slow motion, she charged forward and into the aliens that faced her. Her control was slipping now and she could feel it but hell, she was determined to finish the job.

In an attempt to rein back some of her mutation, she lost concentration and was caught in a Chitauri blast. It launched her down the street and through a department store window, slamming her body into the tile ground. Her head ached and her muscles screamed in protest as she picked herself up. Blood dripped onto the tiles below and she raised a shaking hand to her face, feeling a laceration across her forehead. With a groan, she pushed herself up onto her knees and hunched over to spit some blood onto the ground. An alien screeched outside and she blindly grabbed her gun, firing three times and hearing it collapse.

"Come on, Karakova," she coached herself. "Get up. Fight's not done yet."

A hand landed on her shoulder and Amber was too tired to react. She simply raised her head, seeing one of the department store workers crouched before her. The woman held her other hand out and Amber slowly reached out and grabbed it. Another employee helped her stand and brushed some dust and dirt off her shoulders.

"You should be taking cover," Amber grunted.

"You're not," the first woman said. "So why should we?"

"We're from New York, hon. Aliens can get fucked."

Amber choked back her laugh but glanced around at the debris around her. "Get to safety and hide somewhere. Wait until all of this is over before you come back out."

"Give 'em hell, kid. You're doing great."

The Dragon ran outside to face the carnage of New York. A flash of red, white, and blue down the street alerted her of Steve's location and she jogged towards him, ducking under the energy blast that came flying at her head. A shield followed the blast and collided with the alien that shot at her. Amber reached Steve's side just as the shield returned and he smoothly caught it before turning his attention onto her, his cowl gone as strands of his blonde hair fell across his forehead.

"You're bleeding," he noted.

"I've had worse," she muttered, shifting uncomfortably under his gaze.

The ground shook as something landed near them and Amber snapped to attention, gun raised and ready to shoot. Thor struggled to his feet and nodded at the two.

"Captain, Lady Dragon," he greeted.

"Well, fellas, looks like they're bringing the fight to us," Amber commented as Chitauri began to close in. "Ready to get to work?"

Steve adjusted his shield while Thor raised his hammer. Exhaustion and sweat clung to their bodies, but they were determined to fight to the death. Amber swiped the blood off her skin and shoved her gun in her holster so she could pull her escrima sticks out. The three Avengers launched into fighting and deflected hits, threw aliens sky high, and beat them down. One Chitauri caught Steve off guard and he took a shot to the abdomen.

With Dragon's attention focused elsewhere, the Chitauri took that as their chance. One alien smacked her escrima sticks out of her hand and another grabbed her wrists, yanking the assassin's shoulders back, dislocating one, and throwing her to her knees. With a shout of pain, she buckled under their assault and furiously struggled against their hold, twisting her ankle in the process. These aliens weren't going to kill her swiftly, no. They wanted to make her suffer.

With a roar, she sent a shockwave of flames from her body and blasted the aliens back while Thor threw his hammer to finish them off. Amber groaned, slowly picking herself up as she grabbed onto her shoulder. Leaning up against a nearby wall, she swiftly shoved her shoulder up against it and felt it slide back into place. Breathing out sharply, the assassin waited for the pain to dull when Natasha came over comms.

"I can close it! Does anyone hear me? I can shut the portal down!"

"Do it!" Steve ordered but Tony denied the request. "Stark, these things are still coming."

"I got a nuke coming in, it's gonna blow in less than a minute. And I know just where to put it."

"Fuck the Security Council," Amber grunted as she limped her way back to the men. "You know that's a one way trip?"

Tony's line went silent and Amber retrieved her sticks and slid them onto her back before turning her face to the sky to watch the wormhole above them. Her hand brushed over the lump in her pocket and she pulled the dog tags out. Her fingers slid over the rusty metal as Iron Man flew overhead and up into the Chitauri stronghold.

"Please work," she murmured, heart racing. Steve shifted towards her, guarding her six as they waited for Tony to come back. The aliens around them dropped dead, a sign that it worked. All they needed now was for Tony to come back.

But there was no sign of the metal man.

"Close it," Steve choked out. The wormhole shut right as Amber locked eyes on Iron Man. She let out a breathless laugh of relief, peering back at Thor and Steve who were equally relieved. Thor's smile fell into a frown, however, and he started spinning his hammer.

"He's not slowing down!" But before the god could fly, Hulk grabbed Stark out of the sky and crash landed into the ground. Amber sprinted forward, the men following close behind, jumping over debris and bodies that littered the ground. She slid to a stop, falling on her knees beside Stark along with Steve as Thor flipped him over and ripped off his mask.

"Stark...Tony," Amber called but he was too pale. Too still.

Death is inevitable in war. Her hands shook as she gently tapped his cheek in an attempt to wake him up. She missed Tony Stark's big reveal in 2008 so she didn't know much about his arc reactor technology. Could she jump it awake? Was there an AED left standing? What could she do?

The Hulk let out an ear shattering roar and Stark gasped as his eyes flew open. Amber let out the breath she was holding and slumped back into Steve. Stark's eyes darted around wildly as he took in the scene around him.

"What the hell? What just happened? Please tell me nobody kissed me," he exclaimed.

"We won," Steve realized. The Chitauri were gone. New York was in tatters but they did it. They won. Amber shut her eyes, hysterical laughter bubbling past her lips as the adrenaline started to drift away and the pain settled in.

" Alright. Hey. Alright. Good job, guys. Let's just not come in tomorrow. Let's just take a day. Have you ever tried shawarma? There's a shawarma joint about two blocks from here. I don't know what it is, but I wanna try it."

"We're not done yet."

"And then shawarma after?"

* * *

A/N: thank you for your sweet reviews! They're so motivating and I love to read them :) I messed around a little with some stuff and I hope I fixed any reviewing issues that were mentioned. Anyways, we got through the 2012 movie! I am so excited for y'all to read what comes next. Any predictions on what's happening? Any thoughts on Amber?


	7. six

They really needed to get shawarma more often. With a stomach full of Middle Eastern food, the Avengers took a Quinjet back to the Helicarrier to receive medical attention and much needed rest. Amber was seated between Natasha and Clint, the three non-metal suited humans (well, one mutant) having taken the brunt of the hits. Her ankle was aching as was her shoulder and her wrists. Her temples throbbed and she was feeling a little lightheaded from the nasty gash on her forehead. Before they boarded, the assassin took a look in one of the remaining mirrors in a nearby store and grimaced at the cut that ran down her hairline and curved around her jaw. Soot and ash covered her body and tendrils of her frizzy black hair fell into her face, sticking to her sweaty and bloody skin.

Now, she was barely able to keep her eyes open as she sat in the back of the jet. After not using her mutation for a year and then using it for an extended period of time, she was exhausted. Everytime she began to drift off, some small sound would snap her awake and alert into a fighting position. Her hands were clenched into fists, the dogtags pressed tightly against her skin.

"Hey, relax," Clint reassured her. "I gotcha."

"I can't," she whispered. "I can't relax."

Something was wrong. Something was buzzing around in the back of her mind. It was like there was something trying to pry into her mind. Amber had been taught to be on guard at all times and to be aware of every threat. Her mind and body wouldn't calm down and she was terrified of losing control again. She had come this far and she wouldn't, no she couldn't, fall back. Dread creeped up her chest and settled in her throat.

"You should really talk to Sanders when we get back, okay?"

She let out a soft hum of agreement, resting her head on Natasha's shoulder. The Quinjet started to slow down and the cab gently rocked as they landed on the Helicarrier. Wordlessly, the Avengers filed off with Amber and Clint slowly taking up the rear. Agents and soldiers stopped and saluted as they passed and Amber shrunk back, her stomach churning at the thought of them saluting to her.

"What's wrong?" the archer asked her.

"I don't deserve to be treated like this. I'm not a hero, Clint. I-I'm a monster. A disgusting, violent monster who has fucked up time and time again. I don't know why you guys even gave me a chance."

Dread turned to fear and her chest felt like an elephant was sitting on it. She stopped walking and rocked back on her heels. Clint was at her side in an instant, an emotion she had never seen before in his eyes.

Fear.

"I need a medic!" he shouted as he wrapped his arms around her shoulders and lowered her to the ground. The world was swimming or maybe it was her vision? Fuzzy spots appeared before her eyes as figures surrounded her and voices filled the air. Her head was fiercely aching and the pain radiated from the back, through the top, and to her temples. She reached out for Clint when everything went black.

The last time Steve had felt real fear was when he was cradling Anna's limp body to his chest as HYDRA soldiers fired above him. But hearing Clint yell and turning to find Karakova limply lying on the ground made his heart stop. She was the one clue to finding out why the hell she looked like his dead wife and now he might lose her too. Natasha kneeled across from Clint, supporting Amber's head as the assassin's eyes rolled back and she slipped into unconsciousness. Clint swore and scooped her up, sprinting towards the medical team that was hurrying towards him with a stretcher.

Something glinted in the fading sunlight where Amber had laid seconds before. He scooped it up, flipping it over in his hand. His mouth went dry as he realized what he held.

* * *

A/N: shorter but this update is brought to you for my friend's birthday! I know you'll read this so enjoy, you Hawkeye loving goof. Love ya girl.

Anyways, I was watching Winter Soldier yesterday and y'all...I am so excited to get to that point in Amber's story. I think y'all will be very excited by her role going forward.


	8. seven

"Dehydration, blood loss, not to mention the dislocated shoulder that you somehow put back in, a sprained ankle, and a severe concussion. I don't even know how you were still standing," Dr. Rebecca Blake commented dryly as she read Amber's file.

"When can I be discharged?" she spat back, arms crossed over her chest as she stared at the wall blankly.

"Next week if you keep that attitude up," Dr. Blake chastised, calmly setting the file into the basket in front of the cot. "I'm sending in Dr. Sanders. Is that okay?"

"Whatever," Amber muttered.

Rebecca sighed but walked out, motioning for Joel to go ahead. She needed to check up on the archer, the spy, the soldier, and the billionaire still. Thor insisted he was fine and Dr. Banner was sleeping it off.

With a screech of metal, Joel pulled a chair up beside Amber's bed and took a seat. He opened the thick file in his hands and hummed, reading over the notes he had written in it.

"I used my mutation. Happy?" she snapped.

"And you maintained control," he noted. "How did it feel?"

Silence.

"Agent Karakova, how did it feel?"

"Like freedom. Like I haven't felt what being truly, honestly free and open is for an entire year."

"Since the incident."

She slammed her fist onto the side table next to her, smoke curling off of her. Dr. Sanders simply shut his file and stared her down. Her jaw clenched and she winced, grabbing her head.

"Headache?" he asked. "I hear you got a pretty bad concussion. Your mutation is helping maintain your cognitive state, but you're prone to headaches. Now, this was your first time using your mutation since the incident. You remember the incident, of course."

"I murdered fourteen agents in cold blood, I think I remember it distinctly," she hissed.

"How does it affect you?"

"How does this have to do with the fucking aliens raining from the sky? We've discussed this before."

"Answer the question, Karakova."

"I hear their screams. They haunt me, torture me, drive me practically fucking insane. I can smell the gasoline burning and the smoke. It was like my hands were doing all the work but I wasn't the one moving them. It's like I'm watching through someone else's eyes."

"And what about in New York? Was it the same thing?"

"No. No, it was me controlling it. Manipulating the fire. I knew what I was doing. But...nothing."

"I remind you that you're required to tell me everything to do with your mental state if you expect to proceed with missions."

"Before I collapsed, I had the same feeling before the incident. It felt like there was a weight on my chest and I couldn't breathe. My mind was spinning. I couldn't stop it."

"Do you think that's a sign of something? Maybe something triggered your mind?"

"You're the psychologist, you figure it out," she grunted, pulling on the blankets that covered her.

"Could it have been due to Agent Coulson's death however?"

She grit her teeth and turned to stare at the floor. "Get out."

"Agent Kara-."

"GET OUT!" she roared, grabbing the lamp beside her and launching it at him. Dr. Sanders calmly stood and left, carrying the thick file with him. Before he exited, he paused and turned back to her.

"I just want what's best for you, Amber." With that, he left the room

Her eyes darted around the clinically sterile room and she bit her lip, breathing in and out slowly. Something was wrong, but she didn't know what.

Dr. Blake had given Steve an all clear. The serum would heal any cuts and bruises he had in a few hours. An agent showed him to a room on the second floor of the Helicarrier and he changed out of his uniform into some kind of soft stretchy pants and shirt with a SHIELD logo on the front. He couldn't sleep, no matter how tired he was. They said Karakova was fine and going to make a full recovery, but he was too hyped up on the fact that they were identical.

Fiddling with the familiar object he kept in his pocket, the super soldier wandered the halls of the Helicarrier in search of someone he could talk to. He approached the main control area, hearing the din of voices increase as he came closer.

"Twenty minutes until we dock in Manhattan. Those who have family have authorization to seek them out and those who do not will stay on the Helicarrier. Search and rescue teams are ready to be deployed," Hill called as she tapped on the holographic screens in front of her. The woman probably hadn't slept in hours and yet she was still working.

"Agent Hill?" Steve asked quietly. Fury's second in command was surprised to see him judging by the look on her face but she quickly schooled her expression.

"Captain, what can I help you with?"

"On my way here, Agent Coulson gave me a thing like a...a screen? That I could hold? And the screen had everyone's files. I was wondering if I could use it again and see Anna Kennedy's file."

Hill pursed her lips, her eyes hiding a hint of sadness. She knew, of course. Hill probably knew anything and everything. Anna Kennedy wasn't necessarily a secret, but it wasn't exposed to the public either. Any mention of Captain America and the Howling Commandos focused on the men. Rarely was there ever a woman mentioned and even then, it was usually pointed towards Peggy Carter. Anna Kennedy was an enigma to the world. She had to be hidden for her protection and for the protection of those around her. Anyone who knew of her past had to take it to their grave.

"I don't think we have it electronically and I assume you know why. Give me a few days, Captain, and I'll get it from the Triskelion. In the meantime, you can take the holo tablet. Use it for whatever you want and if you have any questions, don't be afraid to ask."

He thanked her and left, returning back to the small room they provided him. Lying on the cot, Steve pulled the compass out of his pocket and opened it.

Even though the picture black and white, Steve knows exactly how she looks. Her smooth, blonde curls pulled back into victory rolls, ruby red painted lips lifted into a small smile, vibrant green eyes sparkling with mirth. Her pale skin, high cheekbones, and slim nose revealed her Russian heritage. He shut his eyes, picturing her beautiful face. It was as if she was sitting there with him.

"_You silly boy," Anna laughed, her hand sliding over his cheek. "Of course I'm here. I'm always here."_

"_Anna," he breathed. "You're not here. You can't be."_

"_I am wherever you are."_

"_But you died."_

"_I told you, your past will always haunt you."_

_He reached out to touch her, but his hand simply passed through her. Anna frowned, the lines of her body blurring. She pulled away from him and stepped backwards, fading slightly._

"_No, please don't leave me. Don't leave me again," he begged._

"_I can't stay, my love. You know that."_

"_I love you."_

_She smiled at him, weariness and exhaustion clinging to her eyes. She turned and stepped into the darkness and-_

He shot up, cheeks wet with tears and sweat dripping down his forehead. The room had fallen dark while he slept, indicating that it was probably nighttime. Steve grabbed the tablet next to him and after a few minutes of tapping on it, he figured out how to type in names.

Agent Karakova's file appeared on the holo screen and he held out the compass to compare. High cheekbones, thin nose, protruding eyes. It was all Anna. The only difference was the color. Tan skin versus pale skin. Black hair versus blonde. Brown eyes versus green.

Mutant versus super soldier.

He stared at the two pictures and then at the dogtags that he wore tucked under his shirt. It had to be, but at the same time it couldn't be...

The only conclusion he could come to was that Anna somehow, some way lived.


	9. eight

True to her word, Anna's file mysteriously appeared on the desk in his room at the New York SHIELD facility a few days later. Steve flipped through the pages and found a good portion of it redacted, but Hill had taken the liberty to include the secure files under all the blacked out pages. He skimmed the pages of her mission reports and kill count with surprising ease. He knew his wife was skilled, and it no longer shocked him when he saw the statistics.

It was her history he was interested in.

Anastasia Mikhailnovna Kuznetzova was born on December 4th, 1920 in Petrograd, USSR. Her parents, Maxim and Elena, were killed in an apartment fire in 1925. Anastasia was turned over to a Russian orphanage. In 1928, Project Дрема took Anastasia in and adopted her. For the next twelve years, Дрема forced Anastasia through vigorous genetic testing, physical training, and mental trials to ensure her potential.

Her first kill was performed at age nine.

She fled in 1937 and in doing so, found Dr. Abraham Erskine. Kuznetzova and Erskine were recruited by the SSR and worked together to use the Russian genetic trials performed on her to perfect the Super Soldier serum. Kuznetzova took on the legal name of Anna Kennedy.

Steve flipped to the next page and found that their marriage was never even mentioned. He knew exactly why.

Дрема knew she was active during the war and they wanted their precious asset back. Anna feared for her life because they would kill her if they found her...or they would force her to work for them. When he held her body to him and watched her bleed out, he remembered seeing peace in her eyes. She couldn't return to them if she was dead.

Swallowing past the lump in his throat, Steve set the files aside and grabbed the tablet that he now carried around. It was surprisingly helpful when he was confused by something. He missed a lot of events and culture.

Tapping the screen, he located Karakova's profile again and found a good portion of it blacked out. There were two lines directly at the beginning available and it provided little information.

_Located and rescued in 2009 from Dragon facility. Spent time in X Mansion for therapy._

That was it.

Steve sighed and tossed the tablet onto his pillow. Maybe he should talk to somebody who might know more. Karakova was out of the question. She had been released from the med bay the night after her collapse and disappeared into the wind. Natasha told him not to worry, that she did it when she was overwhelmed, Amber would be back soon.

* * *

New York was in shambles. Search and rescue crews pulled survivors out of the rubble for days but now they were pulling only bodies. The homeless population had skyrocketed along with crime and Amber didn't blame a good percentage of them. Some lost everything. Others lost everyone.

She pulled her hood up higher to hide her identity. Her face was plastered on the news as they heralded her a "hero" and "mutant leader". Personally, the assassin was disgusted. If they knew who she truly was, they would be horrified in their glorification of such a revolting monster.

The Helicarrier became claustrophobic and after leaving a small note for Clint and Natasha, she did what she knew best. She ran. In a few days, maybe even in a few weeks, she would be back and ready to work. But for now...she needed space. They knew where to find her if they needed her. Strike Team Delta had a safe house nestled away in the Bronx.

For now, Amber just patrolled the streets. She helped clear rubble and gathered groceries for elderly and injured, paid the debt for thieves who just needed some pads or shampoo and delivered the big time criminals to police stations, and Amber just existed. There were no orders, no expectations, and no one breathing down her neck. No mutations or aliens or Dr. Sanders asking her a million questions.

It was her. Just her. Completely in control.

The headaches kept coming and she hadn't had a full night's rest in almost a week. Her dreams were an onslaught of sounds and flashes of images. Planes falling from the sky and bombs raining down and the familiar rap rap rap of gun fire. She heard men laughing over the crackle of a campfire and the soft whispers of a voice that was vaguely familiar. Sometimes there was a voice that was rough and tinged with Russian, her native tongue, as it spoke to her of missions and battles and something about metal arms. She saw visions of a room with a single light above her, felt leather straps around her wrists and fire course through her veins, and heard such terrible screaming.

It wasn't until she woke up that she realized the screams were her own.

Stuffing her hands in her pockets, Amber slumped her shoulders and kept her eyes on forward. Her feet wandered through the city, looking for trouble or security well hell, she didn't know. Anything was better than sleeping and succumbing to those nightmares.

Night had fallen on the city that never sleeps and the homeless were stretched out along the ground. Apartments had been ruined and those with little to no money had nowhere to go while others were just too stubborn to leave and decided to help rebuild. Sleeping bags and cardboard boxes filled alleys and sidewalks, but nobody was going to stop them. Aliens had just fallen from the sky less than a week before.

She stilled, the sounds of a scuffle reaching her ears. Amber slowly made her way to the alley, seeing three guys ganging up on another man. As one asshole went in for a cheap punch, she swiftly grabbed his shoulder. He spun around and threw a sloppy hit towards her but she easily ducked, slamming her forearm into his lower back which caused him to collapse. Her knee landed in his gut, folding him like a chair, and she tossed him to the side. The second guy noticed his buddy was down and he came swinging at her left and right but she simply bounced on her toes and evaded his hits before landing a sharp kick on his hip that sent him careening headfirst into the brick wall.

"I really advise you not to do that," she rasped when the third man pulled a knife. It glinted ominously in the dark but the assassin simply rolled her eyes. Baring her teeth, her sharpened canines expanded and shone under the moonlight as her golden eyes flashed. The guy dropped his knife and sprinted out of the alley, leaving his buddies behind.

"Thanks," the guy who got the crap kicked out of him muttered as he picked himself up off the alley ground. "But I had it covered."

"Oh yeah, it looked like you were really giving those guys a taste of their own medicine," she drawled. "Did you see the size of those guys?"

"Can't," he shot back, gesturing to the dark sunglasses that hid his eyes.

"Huh, well you held your own for a bit there."

"If they were so big, how did you take them out?" he sassed and she chuckled, watching as he bent down and retrieved a long white pole to aid him in walking.

"I don't usually pick fights with guys my own size so why start now. Let me walk you home, alley guy."

"Alley guy?"

"I don't know your name."

"Matt. Matt Murdock. And you are?"

She hesitated. Either Amber could give him one of her aliases or she could take a chance. "Amber Karakova."

"And how do I know you aren't going to walk me home, beat me up, and rob me?"

"Guess you'll just have to trust me."

Matt smiled at her, a real and genuine smile. She was taken aback by it because hell it had been over a year since someone smiled at her. There was no hidden motive or secret he held. Matt just seemed like a good guy.

"So, what are you doing out here Matt?" she asked as they began to walk. She kept a steady pace so she didn't block his cane from moving side to side. As they were about to leave the alley, he hesitantly reached out and touched her arm and she stiffened.

"Sorry, I just didn't want to trip on that trash bag."

"No, it's...it's okay. I'm just jumpy."

"Veteran? I can feel the muscles and the scars." He slowly wrapped his hand around her bicep, easing her into his touch and giving her time to change her mind. Amber understood that he wasn't trying to hurt her. That small part of her brain that was screaming at her to run was quieting down.

"Something like that. Now, you never answered my question."

"I was coming home from work and they jumped me. I'm a lawyer."

"Dewey, Cheatem, and Howe?"

He let out a low chuckle and shook his head. "Landman and Zack."

"So I was right."

"And what do you do, Amber?"

"I'm in the security business, you could say."

"Police? National Guard? Is that why you're wandering around here and picking fights?"

"I mean I was present during the battle, but no. Excuse me for a second."

She extracted herself from his grip so she could crouch down next to a family curled up on the streets. The children were shivering from the abnormally cold New York spring night and the parents were doing their best to keep them warm.

"May I?" Amber asked gently, pointing to the weak trash fire they had smoldering nearby. The father looked up at her with desperation written all over his face. She took that as a yes and made her way to the fire. Rubbing her hands together, Amber inhaled a deep breath and then blew into her hands as if she was warming herself up. Shifting her back to them, she dropped a fireball into the can and watched as it lit up, providing a little more heat.

"Thanks," she whispered as she passed them. Matt took her arm again and they continued their journey. She would quietly tell him street names as they passed and he would let her know if they needed to turn or not. He let her know where his apartment was and they soon found themselves at the steps of his building.

"You're her, aren't you? The mutant."

"Red Dragon, nice to meet you."

"You could be having parades and presidential awards right now but you're here beating up criminals and helping the homeless. A bit Robin Hood, huh?"

She bit the inside of her cheek, a sarcastic grin spreading across her lips. "Yeah, I don't deserve that. I'm just here avoiding all the paperwork. Besides, New York needs a little help."

"Ah, where are you from? Brooklyn? Midtown?"

"Soviet Russia. I'm not here for the city, I'm here for the people. Goodnight Matt. Stay safe out there."

His faint "you too" followed her down the street as she shoved her hands in her pockets and started to make her way back to the Bronx. If she got back to the safehouse before light, she could sleep during the day when the shadows were gone and the nightmares less present. Something caught the corner of her eye and she turned her head, staring at the old fashioned diner. It was like deja vu or a dream within a dream. She studied it before a tingle of electricity shot up her legs and into her spine. She winced and shook her head, pushing the oncoming headache at bay as she readjusted her hood and kept walking.

* * *

A/N: we get some background on Anna and we see some of Amber's character! Thank you all so much for the reviews and follows and favorites. And an special thank you to LunarFairyPrincess1989 for all your sweet comments! I hope you enjoy this chapter :)


	10. nine

If there was one thing that Steve Rogers quickly learned about his new teammates was that Natasha Romanoff was, without fail, always right. Agent Karakova appeared three weeks after the Battle of New York. He got up for breakfast and found her seated at the dining table with her hair tied up in a bun, a black eye, and a book open in front of her. She wordlessly sipped her coffee as he moved around the kitchen, successfully working the coffee machine that an agent had to teach him how to use when they first moved into the New York City SHIELD compound.

What appeared to be a normal apartment complex in the city was actually a secure intelligence community hub filled with floors for data analysis, combat training, espionage work, and dorming. Steve received the fifth and final apartment on floor thirty-eight. The floor was shared with Clint, who had vanished after the battle but Steve was reassured he was simply gathering his thoughts, and Natasha, who lived there full time, along with Agent Andrea Smith and Karakova. Agent Smith was nice and helped him understand technology, but she was also very energetic and never seemed to stop smiling. It was a little overwhelming.

"Good morning." Steve would try to make conversation, but the last time they spoke was after the battle. In the past three weeks, Steve heard plenty of things about Agent Karakova. One agent said that she had murdered a whole team of agents on a mission last year. Another said that SHIELD only kept her around because she would kill them if she opposed them. A third told him that Karakova was the most "cold hearted, stone faced ugly bitch" he had ever seen. Natasha broke the agent's nose and told him to grow up. Apparently, his girlfriend had been in the massacre dubbed the "incident".

Everything he heard was the complete opposite of what he saw on the battlefield.

Karakova grunted as she took a drink of her coffee, flipping to the next page of her book. Natasha casually strolled by and tossed an ice pack to her. The dark haired woman caught it without looking up and placed it on her bruised and swollen eye.

"Training in thirty minutes. Level twelve," the redhead reminded her before disappearing into her office. Amber grunted again and flipped to the next page. Natasha's door shut before it swung back open seconds later. Another object came flying out at Amber and she caught it again, inspecting the small bottle.

"Anxiety meds."

"Sanders hopes it'll help you stay calm. Take one every morning so go ahead and start now. I'll know if you haven't taken it."

Karakova muttered something along the lines of "damn ninja" and popped off the top of the pill bottle before swallowing a pill dry. She proceeded to flip to another page.

"What are you reading?" Steve tried again. She held up her book and stared at him expectantly over the edge of the pages. He read the title and furrowed his brow in confusion.

"There was a war in Vietnam?"

"Hell if I know. I don't remember any history," she muttered. "I can't remember anything before 2009 but fuck, I can do my times tables like a champ. Didn't even know Hitler shot himself until 2010."

"Wait, Hitler shot himself?"

Karakova paused and set her book down along with the ice pack as her eyebrow raised. She forgot that he was somewhat like her. He didn't know anything that happened after World War II. She didn't know anything before the 1900s.

"I got a couple books on World War II and Vietnam. Nat keeps giving me books. Just finished this one if you want. My next one is on the Russian Revolution."

She slid the book over to him and stood, swaying a little on her feet. Panic crossed her face for a second and she frowned but quickly regained her footing. The mutant quickly hurried to her bedroom, the door slamming shut behind her.

Steve crossed the room to the table and picked up the book. He flipped it open to a random page and found Cyrillic letters scattered across the page. The words seemed to say the same thing but he only knew basic words from Anna's teaching. Steve tucked the book under his arm and grabbed his coffee. Maybe he could use the tablet to translate it.

* * *

Everyone was staring at her. Well, that's what it felt like at least.

Amber hated feeling vulnerable but that's all she _could _feel when Dr. Sanders, Dr. Blake, Hill, and twenty different agents were all staring at her. She scuffed the toe of her shoe into the ground, waiting for Andrea's training plan for the day. Natasha stood next to her, stoic and proud as always, while Steve stood on the other side of Natasha. The three "Avengers" stood at attention.

"Romanoff with Rogers. She will be training you in modern techniques. Your skills are a little rusty, Captain. Punching is effective but not against highly armed mercenaries. Karakova is with me," Andrea announced. "Are we clear?"

Agents scattered around the gym, pretending to care about their own workouts. Amber pushed her insecurities aside and approached Andrea. The blonde nodded towards the mats and they slowly made their way to it.

"What's going on, Amber? It's like you're two different people. One second you're the Amber I knew a year ago and the next you're all cold and aggressive," Andrea hissed as they stretched out.

A conflicted look passed across the mutant's face and she sighed. "I don't know. It's like I can't control myself at all. Can we just get this over with and I'll tell you later?"

"Promise not to light me on fire?"

"Sanders gave me some medication that's supposed to keep me calm so who knows. You'd look cute a little crispy."

Andrea brightened and patted her friend gently on the arm, making sure that Amber could see her hand the whole time. "See? I haven't seen that side of you in so long."

They moved to the edges of the mat and faced each other. Amber fell into an easy stance. She tapped her foot one to the left and twice to the right, hoping to throw Andrea off. The blonde smirked in response and stepped closer, falling into her normal crouch with her hands balled into fists in front of her.

Andrea was known as the weapons specialist and training expert for Strike Team Delta, but her history was a little richer than that. She was an Army veteran with two tours under her belt and a ferrokinetic mutant. She was class B, ranked slightly lower than Amber, but the blonde was able to use her powers in ways that could bring a grown man to his knees.

"Two taps means surrender. No serious maiming, definitely no killing. No mutation for you, a little mutation for me. Evens the playing field," Andrea reminded. Amber nodded, a dangerous smile pulling at her lips.

Andrea lunged first, nailing her elbow in Karakova's chest. The assassin dropped to one knee and somersaulted to avoid Smith's next hit. Karakova stood up to full height and caught the fist flying towards her face. She twisted Andrea's arm, spinning around and flipping her over her shoulder easily. The blonde wrapped her ankle around Karakova's leg and pulled her down. The brown eyed girl slammed into the mat face first with a grunt.

"_Come on, Flower! We don't have all day!"_

"_Aw bug off. She just can't keep up or it might hurt her dainty female bones."_

"_If my bones are dainty, yours must be glass, Gabe. You couldn't get up the hill without help yesterday. And I thought I was supposed to be teaching you boys how to fight? It just looks like a bunch of pansy ass babies rolling around."_

As she flipped the two of them over, something inside her snapped.

A rage took over her body and she immediately pulled back, her hands shaking. She grabbed onto the mat, her jaw clenching and shoulders tensing. Andrea stepped forward to make a move and the Dragon shook her head and held her hand out to tell her to stop.

"Get back. Something's wrong," she gasped. "I can't control it."

"Deep breaths, Amber. You can hold it in."

"Get back!" the Red Dragon roared. The gym fell silent and agents started to slowly back up towards the doors. Dragon screwed her eyes shut and let her head fall onto the mat, begging herself to stop.

"Please, please. I can't stop it. I can't. I'm not in control. Andrea…" she sobbed as her gums began to ache. Her mind was on autopilot and she couldn't stop it. Andrea kneeled in front of her friend and held her hand out but Dragon shook her head and raised her head. Her fangs were already exposed and her eyes glowed a faint gold. Tears streamed down her face and she stared at her in pure fear.

"Go. I can't hold it back much longer."

"I'm not leaving you like this. Something is _wrong_, Amber. We need to figure it out. Take my hand."

Amber wish she didn't, but she listened to her. Fire sparked up Andrea's arm before she could stop it. Andrea cried out in pain and Dragon felt herself being ripped off of her fellow mutant and she writhed in their grip, snarling and snapping.

"Amber," Steve said firmly. "Karakova, calm down."

That voice calmed her instantly. The gold faded from her eyes and her fangs receded back into her gums, leaving the normal molars in their place. Her body went limp and Dr. Sanders sprinted over, checking her pulse and shining a light in her eyes.

"We need a med team!" Natasha shouted and Amber pulled away from the two men so she could see the people hovering over Andrea. The mutant was pale and whimpering as they moved her burned arm and Amber stumbled back into Steve's chest as horror consumed her.

"What have I become?"

"Rogers, get Karakova out of here! Sanders, call Xavier," Fury barked as he rushed to Andrea's side.

"I got her, don't worry," Sanders called, pulling out a small syringe from his pocket. "Amber, deep breaths for me okay? This is just a small sedative that will keep you asleep until we can get you to X Mansion. Deep, easy breaths."

Steve watched with a sickening feeling growing in his chest as the needle slid into her neck. Her eyelids fluttered for a second before she started to stumble. Steve wrapped his arms under her own, supporting her as her body went limp.

"Here, I can carry her," Sanders stammered out. He pulled Steve's arms away and scooped up Amber. Steve watched as he carried her out and couldn't help but think that something was horribly wrong.

* * *

A/N: so what do you think is wrong with Amber? Is Andrea okay? I will be moving into college next week so updates might come slower but I'm determined to have this whole story updated my mid-October at the latest! Thanks again!


	11. ten

_Two Months Later_

Steve sat at the lab table, watching as Andrea moved around the room and tinkered on different equipment. Occasionally he would ask questions and she would try to explain in the simplest of terms, but she still spoke about biomechanical physics as if she was discussing the weather. She would also explain mutations, history, and popular culture. He found that, although she overwhelmed him at first, the blonde was good company. She never pushed him to talk and was willing to explain things for hours.

He also found that she was pretty forgiving. Scars trailed up her right forearm from the burn Amber had given her but she simply brushed it off. Dr. Blake worked tirelessly to heal the mutant and Andrea almost had full mobility back. Dr. Blake's mutation enabled her to repair certain injuries but it was draining to her and she had to take breaks often.

It was also intensely painful for the individual being treated.

Andrea took it all in stride and didn't blame Amber once. She simply encased her arm in a sheath of metal as she worked and called it a "prosthetic but cooler". But while the blonde kept a smile on her face and danced around her lab to Lady Gaga and other "2000s greatest hits, Captain please tell me you've been introduced to Beyonce" as she stated, some sadness was hidden behind the happy facade.

Steve could only guess it was because Amber hadn't contacted anyone since she was taken to X Mansion, a safe haven for mutants he had been informed. Dr. Sanders came by the other day and said that her treatment was going well and they were making improvements, but he wouldn't disclose as to why Amber had lashed out. Maybe she would be okay when she came back. Maybe they could talk.

"Cap, did I ever tell you about my grandfather?" Andrea's voice broke him out of his thoughts. He shook his head and set his tablet down, giving her his full attention. The blonde raised her hand, a wrench flying across the room and landing neatly in the palm of her hand. She hummed to herself as she screwed in a bolt on the new thing she was developing and glanced up at him.

"He served in the 107th. You rescued him when they were captured. He would go on for hours about Captain America and the Howling Commandos and...the woman that came with you," Andrea finally said.

Steve sighed, staring down at his tablet that displayed a story on the Missile Crisis. Andrea and Dr. Blake had made him a list of important events he missed and he was slowly but surely making his way through it, adding questions onto the list to study later. The Cold War both disheartened yet fascinated him. A war with no real battlefield but a war that resulted from his own time.

"Who was she?" Andrea asked gently.

"My wife. Agent Anna Kennedy. She was a former Russian spy recruited to the SSR."

"You used the past tense there."

"She...she took a bullet for me in the final battle against Schmitt. I held her until her eyes...they told me about a thing called the death rattle. I never believed it until I heard her breathe her last breath. It's a sound of finality."

He didn't even realize that his fists were clenched and his whole body was tense until she appeared before him, big blue eyes full of concern. "Hey, maybe you should start talking to a SHIELD psychiatrist. It's a huge change you're dealing with and you lost Sergeant Barnes along with your wife."

"Therapy isn't really something people like me sign up for," Steve huffed and Andrea set her wrench down with a frown.

"Steve, this isn't the forties anymore. Therapy is normal. Tons of people see someone to just talk it out. I see one because of my shitty childhood and PTSD from work. Hell, Amber sees one. She's like you."

"A flame throwing mutant with amnesia?"

"A fighter. She's seen things that no person should ever have to see and done things no other person should have to do. You make tough decisions in war, right? It settles in your mind. The guilt eats at you, chews you up, and spits you out. I didn't realize that my PTSD was so bad until I stopped sleeping entirely. Amber was the one who got me help."

"Is that why you care about her so much?"

"When we found Amber, she was starved and dehydrated. The facility we found her in was in less than stellar conditions and she was literally chained to the wall with metal that didn't melt at the temperature she operates at, but she had killed a guard when we raided the facility and used his keys to unlock them. For days, she would just rock back and forth in the room we kept her in. She was like a wild animal sometimes. You've seen that she doesn't like to be touched and that's because we're pretty sure she was tortured by her handlers. But when we first took her in, Amber wouldn't let anyone get near her. Coulson was the first one to get close to her and he started bringing her meals."

Andrea cleared her throat and swiped her sleeve across her face to clear the tears that had built in her eyes. "She would talk to a therapist if Coulson would sit with her and she talked about these awful nightmares she had. My room is next to hers and...I could hear her screaming at night. But slowly over time, her nightmares stopped and she started sitting on the same stool as you. She felt like she was doing something when she helped me on projects. Clint taught her how to cook and Natasha supplied her with books upon books. Even though Natasha looks like she could kill me with a pencil, she cares about Amber. Hell, even Hill and Fury have a soft spot for her."

"Andrea…"

"Listen, it's really important that you understand that the Amber who attacked me isn't the real Amber. She used to smile and she loved to try new things and learn. She was kind in her own way and looked out for others, but that all changed last year."

"Andrea-."

"She didn't mean to do it. Amber told me that it felt like she was moving on auto pilot. It wasn't her mind doing the work. She killed fourteen agents and five civilians in a fire, but I'm telling you right now that something was wrong. Something _is_ wrong. She's a good person who is rough around the edges and has a wall made of vibranium around her heart."

"Andrea!"

Steve fished the compass out of his pocket and laid it on the lab table. Andrea furrowed her brow and opened it, her jaw going slack in shock as her eyes trailed up to stare at him.

"Where did you get this picture?"

"Brooklyn, 1939. That's Anna Kennedy."

Before she could say anything, the lab door slid open and a flash of red hair signaled Natasha's arrival. Andrea tossed Steve the compass as she shot him a pointed look meaning that they would be discussing it later. He nodded while sliding the metal into his pocket and turned back to Natasha, surprised by what followed her. Or rather: who.

* * *

A/N: sorry for the long wait y'all! I just moved into college last week and things have been CRAZY. I decided to spend the night in rather than go out.

Also, I saw the comment about how it's confusing and I am SO sorry. I honestly thought it was going too fast so I hope the next few chapters help clear things up! If you ever have any questions, please PM or comment! :)


	12. eleven

Amber, with a small smile and bright eyes, waved at Steve and Andrea before whispering something to Natasha. The redhead smirked and stepped to the side to give Amber more room.

"Andrea, I am so so sorry about all that. I don't know what happened!"

"No biggie, kid. Scars are cool. Good to see you looking better," Andrea chuckled. Her laughs died off quickly as Amber wrapped her arms around the blonde. Everyone in the lab fell silent and stared at the sight incredulously.

"What? Can't a girl hug someone without making a big deal out of it? I'm just so excited because guess what we found! My birth certificate!" The dark haired mutant pulled away with a small laugh.

Amber pulled a worn piece of paper out of her jeans pocket and handed it to Andrea who glanced up at Steve before she unfolded it. It was in Russian, but Amber launched into a translation without prompting.

"May 29th, 1987 in Moscow! It even lists my parents names. Isn't that amazing?"

Steve felt his heart fall. The compass and dog tags in his pocket weighed like a million pounds. He was stupid for thinking that Anna could be alive. Maybe Amber was just a doppelganger. Maybe he was just trying to see Anna in things that weren't there.

"Listen, Rogers and I have to finish this prototype by tonight. Romanoff, don't you have to run her by Joel or something?" Andrea came to his rescue. Natasha narrowed her eyes in suspicion at the two but gave a curt nod and led Amber out. The second the door shut behind them, Steve fell back into the stool he sat on before and found himself unable to breathe. His chest ached but he couldn't tell if it was from the realization that Anna was truly gone or if it was something else.

"Steve? Can you focus on me? You're having a panic attack. It's okay, it's normal. I just need you to breathe. In and out. There you go," Andrea said, crouching down in front of him. "You were pulled out of one war and thrust into another without any time to mourn the loved ones you lost. Amber looking scarily like your dead wife doesn't help. It's okay to feel this overwhelmed."

His chest loosened up and he nodded, trying to stop his head from spinning. Andrea offered him a gentle smile and patted his hands. "Tell me about them."

Steve sucked in an unsettled breath. "Bucky was my best friend. He saved my ass too many times to count. We met when he scared off some guys when they tried to steal my lunch money. Always cleaned up my messes but hell, he was my best friend. He always saved me, but when he needed me, I couldn't save him."

Guilt consumed him and Steve sighed, "I met Anna at an art gallery in 1939. She seemed sad and for some damn reason, I had the guts to speak to her. She was the prettiest woman I had ever seen. Thought it was a joke when she agreed to get dinner with me, but a year later we were at the courthouse. I didn't care about her past or what she had done, she was the kindest person you'd ever met. Always looked out for others and loved everyone no matter who they were. She was pretty ace at taking down HYDRA agents too."

He let out a watery chuckle and Andrea's smile grew. "Tell me your favorite memory of Anna."

"Hell, for a trained Russian spy, she was the most empathetic person. We were pretty damn broke due to the Depression and she worked as a nurse, which I later found out was a cover, but she came home one day…"

"_Steve!"_

_His heart dropped in his chest at the strangled cry of his name from his wife. He set his sketchbook down and hurried out to the kitchen of their tiny apartment. The blonde was distraught, tears pooling in her eyes as she cradled something in her hands._

"_I found him outside and I didn't know what to do! I think he hurt his wing," she sniffled. He peered down at the little bird chirping in her hands. Steve couldn't help but smile at the concern written all over her face._

"_It's alright, darling. Let me get a box to rest him in and we'll check him over, alright?"_

_She nodded, protectively cuddling the little bird closer to her. Steve raised himself onto his toes and pressed a kiss to her cheek. Anna pulled her attention away from the bird and to him instead, wide green eyes staring at him in confusion._

"_You're cute when you're worried," he stammered out, a blush rising to his cheeks. She ducked her head with a small smile then turned back to him, dropping a kiss to the corner of his mouth._

"_Box please," she whispered._

"You mean to tell me that one of the SSR's top agents was an animal lover?" Andrea said as she resumed tightening a bolt on the side of her project.

"Anna was trained to be a cold killer on the battlefield, but they could never stop her from caring for others. We would be walking through villages in the Alps or in occupied zones and she would stop to help families. She carried a young boy on her back for four hours while we helped their family escape and she never complained. Bucky carried his sister."

"They sound like amazing people."

"They were." He opened the pocket watch and stared at those wide eyes and brilliant smile. While everything pointed to her being dead, he just couldn't believe it. Something in his heart was telling him that there had to be an explanation.

He was determined to find it out.

* * *

A/N: to the guest who commented about college, I completely understand! It's a scary time and I'm hours away from home so I know only one other person here but there's so many opportunities to grow and learn! :)


	13. twelve

Steve was confused and frustrated so he did the one thing he knew would help work through some of the tension. It was late so there wasn't any other agents in the gym. Steve could beat the shit out of the bag without anyone staring at him. It was unnerving to be "a living legend" when he was just a guy who wants to do the right thing.

As his fists collided with the bag, his anger grew. He was furious at SHIELD for being so careless and getting the Tesseract taken. He was angry at being thrown back into a war. He was enraged that he never got to bury Bucky or Anna. He didn't even have time to mourn them. The bag shuddered under his fists and the chains creaked dangerously. The metal grating on metal became shrieks in his mind, screams of the dead or dying that surrounded him on the battlefield. Red blurred on the edge of his vision as blood surrounded him. The punches magnified in volume and sound, almost like mortar shells exploding around him. With a thundering boom, the bag flew off the hooks as sand poured out of the hole he beat into it.

His chest heaved as he breathed, sweat dripping down his forehead and cheeks. Bucky would have laughed his damn ass off if he saw Steve knocking punching bags to the ground. Anna would be right next to his best friend, a smirk on her lips as she playfully rolled her eyes.

Steve walked over to his bag and grabbed some water, sitting on the edge of the bench. As he reached for a towel, his fingers brushed along something metallic. He frowned, pulling it out, and dropped it into his lap.

It was the dogtags he had found when Amber collapsed. Steve flipped them over, running his fingers over the rusted metal and sighed. He wasn't able to read the writing on it, but it reminded him of his own dog tags. He had given his to Anna before the final battle, a promise that he would come back to her.

"Whatcha got there?"

"Shit!" he swore, practically jumping out of his seat. Karakova stood in front of him with her arms crossed over her chest and her eyebrow raised. Her brown eyes watched him carefully and for a brief moment, she seemed like the person she was on the battlefield.

"I- uhhh, dogtags," he answered lamely.

"Yours?"

"No, I...lost mine in the ice." The lie was easy enough. No one was supposed to know about Anna. What he was confused by was the fact she didn't seem to recognize them.

"Well, I was coming in her to train a little but if you want some alone time, I understand," she said.

"You're fine. I was about to leave soon. How are you feeling?"

She leveled him with a blank stare, her eyes flickering for a second. Was it gold? He couldn't tell. Amber sighed, tossing her hair back and she straightened her shoulders. "Professor Xavier taught me to suppress and hide my mutation. I have not used it since I hurt Andrea and I think I'm doing well. I hope to never have to use it again."

"If that's what you want, then we will all support you," Steve said as he shoved the dogtags in his pocket and grabbed his bag. Just as he began to stand, the training room doors opened and another man walked in. He was tall and built with short dark hair and facial hair. The grin he gave Amber made Steve feel a bit off. It was like he wanted to eat her alive. A smirk slid onto her lips and she twisted around to face him.

"Brock, so good to see you. Ready to get your ass handed to you?"

"More like ready to see your pretty ass on the ground," Brock grunted. "Cap, nice to see you again."

Steve wordlessly nodded and then promptly walked towards the door. He glanced back for a moment and grimaced. Karakova was pressed against Rumlow, her lips brushing along his jaw as his hands moved way too low for hands to be. With a disgusted sigh, Steve pushed aside the surge of jealousy in his chest and kept walking.

He found himself back in his room, staring at the book she had given him months before. The Russian words made no sense to him, but he knew someone who would be able to understand it.

Natasha's room was across the hall and Steve hesitated in knocking before gathering the courage to do so. The redhead opened her door immediately, as if she was expecting him to come by. Knowing her, she probably was.

"You know Russian," he stated. She snorted out an indignant huff and raised an eyebrow at his comment.

"I sure hope so. I lived most of my life there," she said. "What do you want?"

He wordlessly held the book out to her and she narrowed her green eyes at the pages before grabbing his arm and tugging him into her room. It was bare with no photos or trinkets that represented her. A few books and papers littered her desk and her laptop was open with what looked like a mission report.

"Steve...I get you're trying to help, but you don't know Amber. She was happy or as happy as she can be. It took her a bit but she started to remember bits and pieces of her past and she was happy with it. We sent her to Sanders to help her try and uncover more of her past and then she freaked and lost her cool. Whatever you're trying to find, don't. Stop searching. This is the Amber I knew from a year ago before the incident. Don't make her regress."

"Natasha, I know that I don't know Amber like you or Clint or Andrea, but I know when something is wrong and every part of me is telling me that something is off. Just tell me what it says and I won't bring it up again."

"I can't, Steve. She used to like music. She would play music of any era and any genre anytime she did something. Her and Andrea would blast rock music in the labs and she would sing during missions and it was annoying as hell but when she stopped, I should have known something was wrong. Her music stopped and a day later she went on that damn mission. But I walked by her room today and she was playing music. Do not fucking ruin this, Rogers. I get that she looks like your dead wife - don't give me that look, I know everything - but you need to stand down on this or I'll have Fury transfer you to California so you can be closer to Stark."

Steve clenched his jaw in an attempt to not snap back. She didn't have to bring Anna into it and yet she did. Romanoff sighed, knowing she hit a soft spot, and opened her mouth to say something else.

"Something is wrong, Natasha. If you don't believe me, fine. I'm going to figure it out with or without your help."

The book in his hands shook slightly as he trembled with rage. Steve returned to his room, noting that is was just as bare as Romanoff's, and sat on his bed. His trusty tablet flashed to life and he frowned, picking it up.

A new message from an unknown sender.

To: Cpt. Rogers, Steven

Subj: (no subject)

Помоги мне means help me

Steve set his tablet to the side and swallowed past the growing lump in his throat. He picked up the book again and flipped through the pages. On every page, Помоги мне was written in the margins.


	14. thirteen

"I already hate this."

"You look nice," Steve said to his new friend. Andrea scowled and tugged at the fabric that was bunching around her waist. The long blue evening gown clung to her body in a very flattering way and the lace sleeves hid the burn scars on her arm. She claimed she wasn't ashamed of them, but he noticed that she was wearing long sleeved shirts in the lab even in the summer.

Stark was hosting a gala to raise money for the city and it's rebuilding process. Steve was asked to attend along with the other Avengers that were still in the area. Clint had returned from wherever he disappeared to and would be acting as the date of Romanoff. Karakova was being escorted by Dr. Sanders. Banner and Stark were already staying at the tower so they were just staying out of Miss Pott's party planning rampage.

Steve asked Andrea to accompany him so there was a friendly face to rely on if he was nervous or some person cornered him with questions. The spunky blonde was more than willing to come along, but she made him promise they would get ice cream after since he made her wear a dress.

"Usually Amber is the one doing these on missions. I'm just the backup," she grunted but straightened her spine and let out a dignified huff. They were waiting for Strike Team Delta to join them in the common room of their floor before leaving in a car to Stark Towers.

The sound of heels on tile alerted them of someone joining them and Steve turned, all the air being knocked right out of his lungs. Amber stepped out from her room and shut the door behind her, turning to face them. Her frizzy black curls were pulled back into a low bun, a few tendrils falling around her face. Her golden gown clung to her muscular curves and a slit revealed her tan and toned leg. Black heels adorned her feet and made her taller. He could see now how she had such a killer reputation. Any man would fall at her feet.

"Hello," she greeted, voice soft and delicate. "Don't we all look ravishing this evening." Every word made him feel like he was falling under a trance.

"Since when have you used ravishing?" Andrea snorted. "Did Natasha get you a dictionary and I missed it?"

"Just trying out something new," Amber laughed airily. "I'll meet you downstairs because I promised I would meet Joel in his room."

They silently watched as she strode out, looking both sinfully devilish and deadly. The second the elevator doors closed behind her, Natasha's head poked out from behind her door.

"Is is just me or is she acting really fucking weird?" Andrea commented.

"She had the equivalent to a psychotic break and went to extensive therapy for two months. I think she's alright to act a little different," the redhead shot back.

They didn't speak about the elephant in the room for the rest of the night. He and Andrea moved around the gala floor with ease. Andrea could charm the pants off of a statue so she took control of most of the discussions. Steve let his gaze follow Amber who was giggling at something Sanders said. He could have sworn that Sanders kissed her at one point, but he could have been mistaken. Andrea noticed his attention was elsewhere and subtly steered them closer to the beautiful, dark haired mutant.

"Agent Karakova!" someone called. "I just wanted to thank you."

"I'm sorry, may I ask what for?" she hummed, examining her nails rather than the man and woman standing in front of her.

"You saved my life when the Helicarrier was attacked. Agent Stanton, remember?"

"Oh, of course! Brain trauma, memory loss, y'know?" Amber laughed before shaking his hand. But it was a lie, it had to have been. She was fine during the Battle. She was fine afterwards. Dr. Blake even cleared her.

"Excuse me," Steve murmured to his date, pulling away from her in search of the dark skinned doctor. Rebecca was talking animatedly with Dr. Banner something about chemicals and thermodynamics. The two doctors paused in their conversation once they saw the super soldier approach.

"Is something wrong?" Rebecca asked.

Dr. Rebecca Blake was not only a mutant, but also one of the top doctors and biologists in the world. Possessing both the title of MD and P.h.D., her thesis was written in the biologic change mutants go under when their X genes were activated and how the X mutation can affect the whole body.

She tried to explain it all to Steve but he was lost around the time she got into "myofibrils" and "achondroplasia" and "phagocytes". Instead, she told him that Andrea and her worked together to develop both things to help mutants and ways to stop mutants.

"When you checked over Amber, you discovered no brain damage. Nothing to cause memory loss, right?"

"Yeah, nothing. Why? Is she forgetting things?"

"Don't worry about it," Steve blurted out, hurrying back to Andrea. The blonde raised her eyebrow in amusement at the sight of the massive man practically dancing around the rich guests that tried to grab his attention.

"Can I help you?" she teased once he skidded to a stop in front of her.

"She's lying. Amber's lying and I don't know why," he rushed out. "She comes back and is acting weird, lying, and from the looks of it...fonduing with Sanders. Something is wrong and I need you to believe me, Andrea. I just...something feels off. Please, believe me."

Andrea's amused expression slipped away into concern and she nodded. "Okay...I think you're right. I think we were just excited to have Amber back, but she's definitely different. You can't tell Tasha or Clint. They're so protective over her. If they even think that we're trying to ruin any of the progress she's made, they'll kill us. Steve, tell me, is this because she might be connected to Anna?"

"I barely know here, Andrea, and I can see how different she's acting. Trust me on this."

"Then I know who we need to talk to."


	15. fourteen

Andrea drove the car along the grassy path and towards the large mansion that stuck out in the large field. Steve felt like he was in a cage at the circus from all the stares they were getting. Kids ranging from very young to almost adults stopped their playing and instead focused their attention on the car. It wasn't rare for visitors to come, but a government vehicle usually meant trouble. Andrea pulled up to the main doors and stopped the car, pocketing the keys and hopping out. Steve followed suit and studied the building in front of him.

"Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters," he read out loud.

"A safe haven for people like Amber, Rebecca, and me," Andrea explained as she walked towards the doors. "C'mon, there's some people I want you to meet."

The second the doors opened, it was like a whole new world greeted them. Kids ran, crawled, and hell, some even flew around. Andrea ducked under a kid that got particularly close and yelled out a warning.

"Andy!" someone gasped. A figure flew into the blonde's arms, hugging her tightly. Andrea laughed heartily and pulled away to look at the figure before her.

"Hey Kitty. Where are the others?"

"Bobby and Rogue are working with Storm on some project of hers while Theresa and Peter is somewhere around here. I know Peter is your favorite," the girl named Kitty teased.

"I have no favorites," Andrea gasped as if she was betrayed before letting out a dignified sniff. "It's a metal thing, you wouldn't understand."

Kitty giggled before looking at the man that stood slightly behind Andrea and was staring around the mansion as if he was completely lost in another galaxy. She poked Andrea and gestured towards Steve.

"Kitty, meet Captain Steve Rogers. You might recognize him as that guy from your history textbook and the guy that saved the world again a couple of months ago."

Kitty lit up and surprised him with a hug as well. "Nice to meet you, Captain!" She dashed off to join some of the other younger students and Steve turned to Andrea with an amused expression on his face.

"This is a safe haven for people who have had a lot of shit thrown at them, Rogers. Either their parents or their community kicked them out or couldn't help them. Some of these kids I have helped find in the dead of night as they fight to survive on the streets. Amber and I used to come here once a weekend every month and work with the kids. That was until the incident. She never wanted to leave the compound after that."

"The kids looked up to her. I really hope you're right, Steve, and we can figure all of this out."

There was a thundering boom from nearby and Steve couldn't stop his heart from leaping in his chest. His fists instinctively clenched and he grit his teeth, eyes scanning the room for any threat. Andrea noticed the change in his posture immediately and shook her head.

"You're alright, Steve. There's no threat. It's just Peter," she reassured him quietly.

A massive man, taller than Steve even, emerges from a nearby room. The most shocking part was that he was completely encased in metal. Or maybe he was metal?

"My child!" Andrea exclaimed dramatically, rushing towards the man. He chuckled and pulled her into a hug. Metal trickled up her arm and she chuckled, resisting her mutation.

"If all goes well, we'll mess around with some elements later okay?"

From what Rebecca and Andrea had explained, Andrea's mutation was limited to metal that she was touching. It didn't matter what element or mixture, she just had to be touching it to be able to use it. She usually carried some blocks of metal in her pocket so she could use it at any time, but that wasn't saying much considering the veteran also carried a massive tool box wherever she went.

It was currently taking up most of the backseat of the car.

"Steve, this is Peter also known as Colossus. We're metal buddies so we're alloys! Get it?" Everyone in the near vicinity groaned at her pun but Andrea was too busy patting herself on the back to notice. A woman with white hair stepped out of a nearby room to see what was going on and she lit up at the sight of Andrea.

"Andy! It's so good to see you again!" she exclaimed.

"Ororo, I've missed you!"

The two women launched into a conversation and Steve awkwardly shoved his hands into the pockets of his khakis and cleared his throat. Andrea snorted out a laugh and sighed. "Storm, this is Captain Rogers. We need to talk to him."

Storm studied the super soldier before gesturing to follow her. As she led them down some halls, past rooms full of students, and towards the stairs, she started to speak. "Stryker is pushing his registration act again. Xavier has been focused on trying to stop it. It would be catastrophic if it passes."

"Amber's stint in New York probably shifted things in our favor for now, but there has to be another way to shut it down," Andrea said before turning her head towards Steve. "The Mutant Registration Act would require all mutants to register their name, mutation, and location. It's essentially a way for the government to stalk us to "make sure we stay in line" but we all know it's bullshit."

"That can't be legal, right?" he asked.

"At lot has changed in seventy years, Captain," Storm sighed as she knocked on the door they stopped at. A voice called for them to enter and she motioned for them to go first.

An older man sat at a large wooden desk in the middle of the room. He had a kind face and gentle demeanor, but something about him unsettled Steve. The man smiled when he saw Andrea and he rolled his wheelchair away from the desk and towards them.

"Andrea, it's lovely to see you again. Captain Rogers, it's an honor to meet you. I am Professor Charles Xavier and welcome to my school," he greeted, his soft voice filled with the familiar sounds of a British accent. It reminded him of Peggy, his old friend.

"Hello sir, it's been a while," Andrea said.

"It appears things have changed. What happened to your arm, dear?"

The two SHIELD agents shared a confused look. Sanders would have told them, of course. The burns were the main reason why Amber was taken here.

"Sir, we thought you knew. Dr. Sanders told you, didn't he?" Andrea questioned.

"I'm sorry, Andrea. I haven't heard from Dr. Sanders in a little over a year. Is something wrong with Amber?"

"Professor, Amber lashed out a year ago and murdered fourteen agents in cold blood using her mutation. She lost control, but regained it for the Battle of New York. Then, she lost control again and burned me. Dr. Sanders brought her here for treatment and she came back two months later and nothing like herself," Steve explained.

The room fell silent. Xavier looked to Storm who glanced at Andrea who stared at Steve. He was staring right back at her, his jaw clenched and his entire body tense.

"But Amber was never brought here, was she?"

Steve had seen Andrea annoyed before. He had seen her mad before. He had never seen her so furious that it literally struck fear into his heart. She was pushing ninety in a sixty zone but he was just going to sit there quietly as she weaved in and out of traffic.

"We can't just fucking barge in and be like, 'Hey everyone! Did you know that Joel Sanders is a dirty fucking piece of garbage liar who has potentially pyschologically messed up Amber?' How the hell did he even do that?!" she snarled as she slowed down as they entered the city. The entire two hour car ride had been filled with expletive laced rants from the blonde.

"You said that she started seeing Sanders a month before the incident? Could he have drugged her or something? Amnesia?" he offered.

"Doesn't explain how he got her to lash out. Mother FUCKER probably made her burn me on purpose!"

"After she burned you, he drugged her and took her away."

The car skidded to a stop and Andrea sucked in a heavy breath, blue eyes glued to the steering wheel in front of her. "He did, didn't he? I'm going to put his head through a wall."

As she fought New York traffic, they discussed their next steps. While Steve wanted to just barrel into his office and confront him, Andrea pointed out that they wanted witnesses. They couldn't let Sanders know that they knew and instead needed him to reveal it in front of Fury. The plans were finalized as they pulled into the SHIELD garage and the duo set off to their destinations.

Steve hurried up to his room and gathered all of his evidence. The book, the dogtags, and his tablet her clenched tightly in his hands as he descended six floors down to Andrea's lab. She was in the process of luring Sanders to her lab after putting in an emergency call to Fury. Steve slowly tapped out a message to Natasha, asking for her help with understanding a modern weapon.

Now, he just had to wait.

Footsteps sounded outside the lab and he cocked his head to the side, not expecting Andrea to be back so soon. The door slid open and Amber stepped in, an innocent look on her face that grew into a bright smile when she saw him. The smile was identical to Anna's and it physically hurt to see it. He shook his head to push away any and all thoughts of Anna for now. Amber needed help and he could figure all of _that_ out once this was over.

"Have you seen Andrea? I heard she was out earlier but I was hoping she would be back so she could help me fix my sticks," she said in greeting.

"She'll be back soon if you want to wait around," he offered.

The mutant shrugged, her smile slipping into one that was a bit more dangerous. It was a look he had seen before...one that Anna wore when she went to distract a guard.

"What do you have there, Captain?"

"Just some stuff Andrea's been helping me understand," he lied. He knew that she could read him. Hell, her entire training was centered around lying and uncovering liars. His grip tightened on the things in his hands as she sauntered closer, brown eyes dark. Her hand trailed up his arm and she hummed, tilting her head back to look at him.

"Let me help," she purred.

His breathing was shallow and rough as she pressed herself closer to him. His eyes slid shut and all he could think of was Anna but…

Anna never used her training on him.

He ripped himself away, stumbling back against one of the lab tables. The compass went flying out of his pocket, because modern sweatpants were the bane of his existence, and slid under a table. She bent down and opened it before he could even move.

"Where did you find this?" she asked quietly, her voice losing its sultry edge.

"It's mine. I had it during the war."

"I thought Дрема destroyed these," she muttered under her breath. Thank god for super soldier hearing.

"What did you just say?" he snarled. "What name did you just say?"

"Дрема," she stammered out. "They...they worked with Project Dragon!"

Steve strode forward, snatching the compass out of her hands and putting it on the table. He grabbed her arms, fury written all over his face. Her brown eyes held something akin to fear and he knew right then and there.

"Дрема was destroyed in the 50s thanks to Peggy Carter. They were the organization that ripped my wife's life apart, stole her childhood, and destroyed her brain so much that she couldn't sleep without waking up screaming. So, how do you know that name?" he growled, enunciating every word of his question.

"Because Дрема was never destroyed," she hissed, jutting her chin out defiantly. Her skin became alabaster white as her hair turned a bright purple. Her face was no longer Amber's. "You're too late, Captain."

A sharp prick hit his neck and the next thing he knew, the world grew dark.

* * *

A/N: Sorry for the sporadic updates but college is really keeping me on my toes! But big things happening in this chapter so comment your thoughts as to what's happening, what will happen, etc!


	16. fifteen

Something was hitting his face.

Steve groaned, his eyes fluttering open in an attempt to fight whatever the hell that woman did to him. Something struck his face again, harder this time, and he snapped awake. His blue eyes met tawny brown and his lips parted in shock.

"Up and at 'em, Rogers."

Amber sat back on her heels, looking simultaneously relieved and furious. Her tan skin was littered with cuts and bruises especially on her face where a nasty shiner marred her right eye. Her jaw was slightly crooked, as if it had been broken and reset incorrectly. Her black hair was matted against her head with grease and blood and dirt. Her cheeks caved in from hunger and dark bags clung to her eyes.

They were in some kind of cell. Bars lined one wall while moss covered stones created the other three. It was pretty small but gave them enough room to move around. It was freezing, aided by the water that dripped from the rocky ceiling. Steve let his eyes drift down back to the mutant sitting across from him. The events of the day finally rushed back in and he narrowed his eyes at her, his jaw set.

"How do I know you're the real Amber?" Steve snarled out.

"Tatiana mentioned something about dog tags when she threw you in here. I took them when we went to the storage facility on the Helicarrier. There was a crate filled with things like that and...I took them because I felt like I had to."

"What book were you going to read after the Vietnam War?"

"Russian Revolution," she answered without hesitation. "It's me, Rogers."

He let his head fall back against the stone and inhaled the musty air. The effects of the drug were wearing off but something still felt off. Amber seemed to understand his thought process and sighed.

"Welcome to Project Dragon, or Дрема as it used to be called. They took Andrea somewhere...I don't know where. I'm sorry."

"What are you apologizing for?"

"It's my fault you're in this mess. Sanders took me from SHIELD after I attacked Andrea and took me here. He's a mutant and I never knew. He can control emotions and memories so he's been manipulating me and using the Dragon. I never meant to kill those agents and I really didn't...He made me do it."

She ran her hands over her face, wincing as she hit cuts and bruises. Her wrists were rubbed raw and Steve instinctively reached out and grabbed her hand. He flipped her arm over, inspecting the bruises that lined her skin.

"What did they do to you?" he whispered.

"What they've always done. They try to break me. Suppress my mutation and weaken me," she murmured.

"Captain, you're awake."

The two Avengers immediately pulled away, heads turning to see the new person. A woman stood on the other side of the bars with Joel at her side. The woman was older, her graying hair and wrinkles betraying the youthful look in her eyes. She had a playful smile on her lips, but Steve felt like there was something eerily familiar in her gaze.

"Marina," Amber spat.

"Anastasia, don't behave like that," the woman, Marina, chastised. She pointed her finger at Amber and the mutant bit out a curse. Her body convulsed and she curled in on herself, trembling. Steve tried to grab her but the second his hand touched her shoulder, a shock ran through his body. Marina lifted her hand and the electricity stopped. Amber relaxed and slumped back into Steve's chest, panting and sweating.

"What did you do to her?" he growled, encircling her in a protective hold.

"Just some behavior modifications. Such a stubborn girl," Marina tisked.

"Steve…" Amber gasped out. "Bucky...he fell. I'm sorry."

He brushed her hair out of her face and watched her worriedly. "Amber, there's nothing to apologize for. You weren't there. It's okay."

"Captain, you will be coming with us for now. There's much to catch up on," Marina announced. Steve didn't want to leave Amber behind in this state but the second he hesitated, Marina raised her hand. Amber winced in anticipation and Steve swiftly shook his head.

"I'll come. Just don't hurt her anymore."

"Tell her to behave," Joel snorted and Steve shot him a nasty glare.

"Actually...bring the girl," Marina drawled. Joel nodded and unlocked the door of the cage. If Steve could just-

"If you try anything Rogers, then Smith dies," Sanders snapped. Steve grunted but helped Amber stand and willingly followed Sanders down the hall, his hand still gripping Amber's. As they got closer to the end of the hall, her grip tightened and he could feel the fear radiating off of her.

The hall opened up to a large room with medical equipment and lab tables. A chair sat in the middle with straps on all the legs and arms as it faced a blank screen. Steve let out a sigh of relief at the sight of Andrea, but it quickly turned to anger when he saw how she was chained to the wall. Her arms and legs were tied with rope that was then attached to chains embedded in the wall. They ensured she couldn't touch any metal and use her mutation. The blonde had a nasty gash on her forehead and blood was dripping down her temples. She seemed unconscious but then her hand twitched and Steve knew she was awake.

"Sit down, Captain," Marina ordered as she gestured to the chair in the middle. He didn't want to give her the satisfaction of having power but when she raised her hand and Amber collapsed, Steve couldn't have sat down faster. The dark haired mutant stayed curled up, her body shaking as she let out a soft whimper.

The screen in front of him lit up and a photo of the person he hated the most appeared. Johann Schmitt and Arnim Zola were posed as if they were victorious, wicked grins spread across their faces.

"Recognize them, I presume? Arnim was my dear husband," Marina hummed. "He rescued me from my dreadful father. My father wasn't horrible but he loved his experiment more than me. He was a Russian scientist who created Дрема. His first successful subject was your very own wife. Isn't that right, Captain?"

Steve glanced over at Amber, his heart beat picking up. The mutant raised her head, staring at him in shock. She never knew. Before he could react, Amber let out a yelp and clenched her fists as Marina raised her hand at her.

"Answer me, Captain."

"Yes. Anna was a product of Дрема," he grit out.

"And she killed my father, the ungrateful brat, and then she ran to you. So pathetic and weak. Then she joined your little Commandos because of course, what a noble thing to do from little Anastasia! Anastasia Kuznetzova ruined my life with your help, Captain. So when I was there that day at the base, after you took my precious husband from me, I relished in watching her die. Oh, it was beautiful!"

He couldn't handle it. He was shaking in anger, but with Amber under some sort of electrical control and Andrea powerless, he was stuck. He wanted nothing more to end this here and now, but then the photo changed. It was Anna, lying pale and lifeless on an autopsy table.

With a sick feeling, Steve turned his head and stared directly at the lab table he was seated next to.

"Correct, Captain. I took her body. I had both Arnim's work, my father's, and I knew of mutations. I am a mutant after all. So, I tested on a few girls here and there and we kept Anastasia's body preserved after we unfortunately saved her life. How? Why the same way you survived those seventy years. Ice. In the late sixties, I finally completed my masterpiece. I think you'll enjoy this video, Captain."

The screen switched to a grimy, old video. Doctors filled the exact same room they were in and horror gripped his chest as they strapped down his wife's limp body. Chains shackled her wrists and ankles to the table. One of the doctors tilted her head up, extending her neck. He held a syringe in one hand and lifted her chin with the other. The needle slid into her smooth skin and then-

Nothing happened.

A pause.

A beat.

The doctor sighed, looking up at the others before shaking his head. He went to remove his hand from her head and the chains snapped on the table. Anna bit down on his wrist, ripping it wide open. Blood spurted from his veins and he stumbled back as the blonde shot up into a seated position. Red hot blood dripped from her lips and she sneered, sharp canine fangs peeking out from her mouth. In a flash, she was off the table. Armed with a scalpel she had grabbed, the blonde sliced the jugular of one doctor before she grabbed a security guard's wrist and cleanly snapped it over her knee. She threw the man across the room and turned to face the others, growling and snarling like a wild beast.

From the crowd of doctors came a woman who raised her hands and the blonde collapsed to her knees with a roar. She struggled to stand and as she got angrier, smoke began to curl off of her. Fire erupted at her feet and quickly consumed Anna but the other mutant, Marina he assumed, raised her hands again.

The flames died and in their place left a dark haired woman with glowing golden eyes.

"Wipe her. I don't want her to even remember her favorite color," the younger Marina snarled.

The video shut off and the whole room fell silent until Marina broke the heavy cloud with a delighted chuckle. "She left us again for SHIELD when they raided our decoy facility. We knew they were getting close but we knew we could get her back. Once the lovely Andrea helps fix our machine, we will then wipe Anastasia again and you can die by her hand knowing that your precious wife cannot remember who you are. After that, I suppose we'll just have to hunt down every Avenger and their families and rip them apart."


	17. sixteen

"I'm sorry I can't remember," Amber whispered from her corner of the cell. "I get flashes sometimes. Mostly of war. I see a man we called Bucky. I saw his death. I wish I could offer more."

Steve stayed silent, staring at the floor in front of him. After Marina's little reveal, they had been forced back to the cage. Steve didn't even bother fighting it because he was trying to wrap his head around everything. Hell, he thought there was a possibility that Anna was alive but to know that she had been nearby for months, that they fought in another war together, and she couldn't even remember him…

"What control does she have over you?" Steve finally asked.

"She's a mutant that can control electrical impulses. Points a finger and it's like a million volts coursing through your body. Hurts like a bitch."

Her arm was cradled to her chest and he sighed, moving to her side. Joel was pretty rough when he threw them back in the cell and Amber had landed on her wrist. She brushed it off and hid her pain, but he could see how she was holding it gingerly.

"It's broken," she whispered as he gently grasped her arm. She sucked in a sharp breath and he glanced around the cell, noticing they were alone.

"It's okay to be in pain. Hold onto my shoulder."

The mutant watched him through half-lidded eyes, the eerie hazel flashing that brilliant gold. She let out a groan of pain as he pressed down on her wrist and Steve glanced up at her. Amber simply nodded and grabbed onto his arm with her free hand. He swiftly snapped her wrist back into place and she threw her head back, shutting her eyes as her lip curled back into a snarl. Her grip on his arm tightened but quickly relaxed and her body slumped back against the wall with a heavy sigh.

"You've done that before," she commented dryly, one eye cracking open to look at him.

"Dum Dum dislocated his shoulder during a raid. Anna...you taught me how to put it back in," he said, resting back against the wall next to her. She let out a soft hum of discontent, a wan smile playing on her lips.

"I don't remember doing so, but if I did then I guess I did," she sighed. "It was me in New York. The battle, at least. When I hit my head in the Helicarrier, it was enough to knock Joel out of my mind. I didn't have time to try to reflect on all these thoughts and memories I had and then when we came back and I collapsed. He was putting a block on my memories again."

Some water dripped down onto his head and trailed across his forehead and cheek before landing on his arm that was resting on his knees. Steve watched as it trickled across his skin and realized what the feeling was that was crushing his chest.

Helplessness. Since he had been administered the serum, he had never felt truly and utterly helpless. There was always a plan. But with Andrea and Amber both at risk here, he didn't see a way out.

"They train you to have no attachments. No friends, no family, no love. Attachments make you weak," Amber said. "I was ready to fight to the death in this place and then I saw Andrea and you and I just gave up. Andrea is too loyal. She'll either fix the machine or they'll kill you."

"They're going to strip you of your humanity."

"Yeah, they are." She picked at a loose thread on her ripped and dirty tank top. He could tell she was nervous, maybe even scared. He shifted closer to her as if guarding her from the horrific future that lay ahead of her.

"Steve," Amber whispered, so quiet and filled with desperation. "When it comes down to it...when I'm strapped to that table...I need you to kill me. Kill me, get Andrea out of here, and run."

"I can't do that, I-"

"I'm not Anna. I'm not Anastasia. I'm Amber, your teammate, and I am asking you to help me save a lot of people from pain. Kill me."

Her hand shifted position, extending towards him. He hesitated but took it anyway, his calloused fingers sliding over hers as he gripped her hand tightly. Tears glistened in her eyes and Steve reached over and wiped them from her cheeks.

"Right now, you're not Anna or Anastasia. You're Amber, my teammate, and I don't leave my team behind. We'll figure this out."

She could only hope that he was right.

* * *

A/N: college sucks lmao


	18. seventeen

The screaming was the worst part.

Amber screwed her eyes shut and buried her head in her hands as she fought against the screams of her friend from down the hall. They stopped and she bit her lip, fearing for the worst. Voices sounded down the hall and she raised her head, seeing a bloody and bruised Steve being forced down the hall by Joel. The mutant had a gun pointed to the back of the super soldier's head and Amber grimaced when the door swung open and Steve was shoved in. He landed on his hands and knees before her and she waited for Joel to lock the cell door and walk away before she shuffled forward and caught Steve's slumping frame.

"You were right about it hurting like a bitch," he grunted out and tried to sit up. "Andrea is fine. A little beat up, but I made sure to take the brunt of it."

"Hey, shhh. Let me take care of you, okay?" she murmured, helping him sit back against the wall. Electricity can weaken the nerves and make limbs feel like jelly, super soldier or not. Amber limped over to the bucket of brackish water in the corner. It wasn't ideal but it was the only water they got and the serum helped fight off most infections. Once she dragged it over to him, the mutant sat cross legged next to his hip and used the bedsheet she had pulled off the cot to wipe down any cuts and dirt so she could see wounds easier.

"How did...how did they change your hair? And eyes?" he grunted out as she pressed down on a cut on his arm.

"Professor explained it to me once when I was younger. The X gene bonds to the chromosome and can mutate appearance. Much like you were born with blond hair and blue eyes which was determined by your genes, my genes were manipulated to reflect fire."

His knuckles brushed along her cheek and her head snapped up, seeing that his eyes were heavy and close to falling shut. The dark haired woman froze as a sudden pain pulsed behind her eyes.

_Messy blond hair fell across his forehead and a weak cough escaped his lips. A frown tugged at her lips and she raised her hand to press against his hot skin. Nervous brown eyes peered at the two from across the room._

"_It's just a cold, James. You can calm down," she called. "But you can help me by starting the soup."_

"_Course I can, Nurse Rogers," the man teased but he left the small bedroom. Cold air drifted in from the unsealed window frames and she shivered against the frigid air that nipped at her skin._

"_You're cold," he stated bluntly and she chuckled, moving her hand to his cheek._

"_That so easy to tell, Stevie?" she teased as she tucked his blanket tighter around his thin shoulders. "Need anything, darling?"_

"_Lay with me? Jus-" He broke off into a coughing fit and she frowned once again, rubbing soothing circles on his shoulder._

"_Just need you," he muttered once he stopped coughing._

"_Of course."_

_She kicked off her shoes and settled down next to him, pulling the sick man closer to her. Her fingers carded through his silky blond hair and he sniffled, pressing his face into the crook of her neck._

"_I love you, Steven Grant," she whispered._

"_I love you, Anna."_

Amber blinked rapidly, the pain receding as the memory surfaced. Joel's control was still slipping. She glanced up at the sleeping soldier and gently smiled, remembering the sight of him sick and sleepy in his pre-serum form. Before she could study him any longer, footsteps sounded down the hall and she sighed as the door opened again.

"Get up," Joel snapped at her and she growled out a warning, her eyes flashing gold. He simply stared at her with a raised eyebrow and she sighed, knowing that he could just control her emotions and stop her from igniting. Amber slowly stood and followed him out, her body aching.

As she walked, the plan began to form in her mind.

They would do anything to break Amber so they could make her into their little weapon. She couldn't let that happen. She wouldn't let that happen. But she couldn't let them hurt Steve and Andrea any longer.

Steve couldn't believe how cold it was. The room felt like ice, indicating that it was getting closer to winter. He shivered, curling in on himself as the frost crept onto his skin. His hands ached from frostnip and he groaned, trying to turn his head only to meet freezing cold stones. It felt like he was on the Valkyrie again.

Was he? He couldn't seem to open his eyes. Maybe this was all a dream. Maybe he just crashed the plane. Maybe this was all a dream. It's like he could almost see Anna again.

"Hey, Rogers. Snap out of it. You're too cold, even for a Super Soldier," her voice barked. He blearily blinked his eyes open to find Amber sitting across from him, eyes filled with concern. Her eyes glowed a soft, eerie honey color and he felt warmth across his skin.

"How long-?" The words stumbled out of his mouth and she frowned.

"A few hours probably." Dried blood caked her nose and he gingerly ran his fingers along the clearly broken bridge. She inhaled sharply at his touch and he started to pull his hand back and apologize when she shook her head.

"It's fine," she whispered. "I'm fine. Joel's control is slipping. I...I remembered something."

He could stay awake now without the fight against the cold. Her warm hands were pressed against his sides and heat radiated off of her. Her mutation was weak and he could see that it was draining her energy. He wanted to tell her to stop but knowing that she was close and safe made his mouth stop moving.

"Some guy got a little aggressive on the street and asked if I wanted a good time. You hit him and I had to pull you off him." Amber laughed softly. "So were you always a little troublemaker?"

"You and Bucky had to patch me up after plenty of fights," he huffed out with a chuckle. Her smile faded and her gaze drifted off to the side, a conflicted looking passing across her features.

"I have two lives running through my head right now. I don't understand what I feel half the time because I don't know if it's Amber or Anna. I don't know who I am anymore."

"You're Anastasia Mikhailnovna Kuznetzova. Your favorite color is blue and you love music. You used to play jazz all the time but nowadays you play classic rock, at least that's what Andrea tells me. You love the outdoors, especially fall. You once knocked a guy out because he pushed me." Steve grinned before he continued. "You told James Buchanan Barnes to stop being such an ass when he asked if I was looking for an upgrade anytime soon. You kicked Johann Schmidt in the face. You're a badass, but you also care a hell of a lot. Amber or Anna, at the end of the day you'll always be Anastasia."

"You called me Anya sometimes," she murmured, shutting her eyes.

"When I was proud of you."

Amber hesitated but pulled her hands away from him, reaching into her boots. She pulled out a scalpel and pressed it into his hand. "End this all now and kill me before they can wipe me. Please. Get Andrea and go. Marina will lose her control on me and then you're free to run. Please."

Before he could respond, the cell door swung open.


	19. eighteen

Joel grabbed her by the biceps and yanked the mutant away, practically dragging her out of the cell. Steve's eyes shot open and he lunged forward but Joel simply kicked him away.

"Your little blonde friend finally fixed the machine so now it's time to wipe this bitch," he spat at the Super Soldier. Amber grit her teeth and scrambled to her feet, yanking herself away from Joel's grasp. Steve took the opportunity to rush at the sandy haired man. Before he could tackle him, however, a sudden searing pain came over his mind and the super soldier dropped to his knees. In an instant, Amber was at his side and her fingers carded through his dirty and matted hair. The pain lessened and he glanced up, seeing Amber's hazel eyes full of unshed tears.

"If I go with you willingly, you'll stop hurting them? Both of them?" she asked, voice hoarse as her eyes never strayed from Steve's gaze.

"I can't promise that, Anastasia," Joel scoffed.

Her hand slid down Steve's cheek, brushing along his arm and then something cold pressed against his hand. His fingers curled around the handle of the scalpel and he shook his head so imperceptibly that only she could see. Amber shut her eyes and pressed a lingering kiss to his cheek before she rose and followed Joel out. His skin tingled where her lips had been a second before and Steve understood.

When Joel used his mutation to stop him, he had to lift the block on her.

She remembered everything.

As Joel dragged her out, he snapped his fingers and pointed at Steve just as the door shut. Instantly, his vision blurred and all he could see were his memories.

The museum. Their wedding. The serum. The battles.

"_Rogers and Rogers, Schmitt is on the plane and it's leaving soon!" someone yelled over the battlefield. Anna nodded but her eyes were trained on the HYDRA soldiers around them. The machine gun in her hands was firing rapidly at the enemy while Steve protected her back with his trusty shield. She tossed the gun to the side once she ran out of ammo and grabbed a gun out of her thigh holster._

"_Go, Steve. I've got this!" she ordered. He glanced back at her and took just a brief moment to study her. Blonde hair was falling out of her braid and tendrils floated around her sweat covered face. A reckless grin pulled at her lips and her green eyes glittered dangerously._

_Before the three words can escape his mouth, a panicked look flits across her face and she's shoving him to the side. Her body jerks as the bullet rips through her chest and Steve's head snaps towards the sniper hidden above in the compound. He throws his shield and takes him out swiftly, but it's too late. Anna's body lay on the ground, gasping breaths escaping her lips as she stares up at him blankly._

"_Stay awake. We can get you help, Anna. Please just keep your eyes open." The words are coming out as fast as the blood spilling from her chest. Her entire white blouse was sodden with blood and no amount of pressure was helping._

_Her hand reached out and grasped his arm, green eyes locking with his blue eyes. Blood dripped down her lips as she opened them with a gasping choke. "I love you, Steve Rogers."_

_Her head dropped back down onto the earth as tears poured down his cheeks. It was too late._

_If he couldn't save her, by God he would avenge her._

A sharp slap landed across his face, snapping him out of the memory. Andrea stared at him, blood dripping from her temple with a deadly look on her face.

"Well, Rogers, what's the plan?" she growled. "We're saving Amber, right?"

"Damn right we are."


	20. EXTREMELY IMPORTANT AN

Hi y'all, sorry for this A/N.

I have been trying to write chapters for Broken Crown, but I'm growing to hate the plot. I realized that I went with a plot point that constrains what I can do with the characters just in an attempt to get chapters out quickly, but I ruined the buildup of characterization that I was going for.

So, I'm going to edit the story and starting with chapter FOURTEEN things are going to completely change. Please keep an eye out on your alerts for that change.

Sorry for all that confusion and thank you for understanding,

Dreamer


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